Parents Take Caution

My son Tyler died while on the Bold Earth Hawaii tour in the summer of 2012. He was swept out to sea after tour guides failed to follow high surf warnings and lead the group into an unsafe tide pool. These guides, who were responsible for leading the teens on a kayaking and hiking trip that day, were not trained in oceanic conditions - they had no cell phones, and no safety equipment on hand. After my son went missing, company leaders waited 5 hours to contact us and let us know what happened. When we arrived in Hawaii the following day, we discovered that the tour had continued, and no one from Bold Earth was there to meet us. Parents should use extreme caution when selecting a tour company for their children. Research backgrounds and experience of tour leaders and the company as a whole.