A summer camp field trip for a pair of 8-year-old Fort Lauderdale twin boys turned into an ordeal when one of them was left behind at an arcade miles away from camp.
The Riverland Park summer camp on Southwest 27th Avenue took a field trip to The Game Room at Sawgrass Mills. After four hours, counselors rounded up the campers and loaded them on a bus to return to Riverland Park.
William Marsee realized his brother, Alex, wasn't on the bus.
He says he told the counselor, "Alex was at the curtain game and Coach Rod did not go. Well, he did not look in the curtains.”
Alex Marsee was engrossed in the game and didn't hear the call for Riverland Park campers to get in line for the bus.
"We were playing a game. We didn't hear them say anything about Riverland camp leaving," Alex said.
Even though his brother told counselors, the bus left. At some point, it was discovered that Alex and another boy had been forgotten.
The boy's mother, Amy Marsee, said this is the third year the twins have attended this summer camp, but they had never had an issue before.
"I was livid to say the least," she said.
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Marsee wants to know how in the world this could happen. She spoke with the camp director who said they were investigating, but that's it. As a result, the boys won't being going to camp any more and will only get to play at Riverland Park with their family.
The camp deferred comment to the City of Fort Lauderdale, which runs the camp.
"The situation that occurred last week is unacceptable. The safety and protection of the children who attend our summer camps is our top priority,” Fort Lauderdale public affairs manager Chaz Adams said in a statement. “The counselor responsible was immediately terminated and the City has taken steps to ensure that this situation does not happen again. Additional training is being conducted with all camp counselors and extra checks and balances are being implemented to ensure that all children are accounted for on field trips.”
