C.L. teen's condition not "unknown"

The Northwest Herald carried a follow-up story this morning on Crystal Lake teen Dylan Smith, 17, who was seriously injured on May 8 near Lake Delton, Wisc. The paper has kept the Comment section closed.

The young man's condition certainly is known, contrary to the newspaper's headline. It just not has been released to the public. His doctors and the family know his condition. With all due respect for their privacy and likely grief over his injury, the story needs to be told and respectfully commented on. A 30' fall is very serious, and his injuries are most likely severe.

What is delaying legal action by the Lake Delton Police Department? May 8 to May 23? It's way past time for the Lake Delton Police to remember that their job is enforcement. That's their job; that's their "primary focus." The doctors will care for Smith.

So just look at what happened here...

A 17-year-old is off, apparently on his own (with friends), 140 miles from home.
With an older brother's ID to "prove" age 21.
With alcohol.
Did the older brother loan his ID to Dylan, or did Dylan take it without Jordan's knowledge? Had Jordan ever loaned his ID to Dylan?
Out roaming in the dark at 2:30AM in an unfamiliar area.
Had he been drinking before trying to cross a log over a ravine?
Why did resort security inform the kids that they had called the police? Why weren't police just called and let them "surprise" the kids in their rooms?
Who provided the alcohol? Did he or others take it from Illinois homes or fraudulently use ID to buy it in Illinois?

What does it take to get across to kids that irresponsible, illegal, high-risk activity and actions can be life-changing, even fatal?

I was at a discussion group recently that included adults and young adults, and I thought about the folly of adults trying to "persuade" the younger adults. What we needed to be doing was listening to them and understanding from them how to get messages through to them. Talking to them or "at" them just doesn't work.

Schools are getting large grants and then trying to impose top-down authority on kids. While authority can corral the kids and force them to assemble, schools have not found the right way to convey important messages, once the kids are assembled.

Legal action in this case should be swift (too late for that) against all who were involved in any illegal activity that week-end.