The Day I Can’t Forget By Brittany Botell
In the morning, my dad tried to wake me up. He could not get me up, so he pretended to eat all of the doughnuts. That got me up! We drove toward Mt. Lassen. We stopped at a store and got a map. My mom, dad, and Katrina got coffee while my brother and I got Dibs ice cream. We drove the rest of the way. During the drive, Dad asked for a dib, we already ate them all! We were close to Mt Lassen when Mom spotted a heart on the mountain made of snow. It was cool! At the bottom of Mt. Lassen, my brother and I played in the snow and Mom took pictures of us. Katrina was holding Bear in her purse.
There was a dark cloud above us and we could hear thunder. Mom was a bit worried but said that we would not go back unless it starts raining. Higher up the mountain we could see beautiful lakes and mountains. We had a snack. We had fiber one bars, and fruit snacks that taste like rubber to Mom, Dad, and Katrina. Tommy kept calling them rubbers. Mom took more pictures of Bear, Dad, Tommy, Katrina, and me. Two other families went up with us, one had a baby and the other family had a girl who really liked Bear. We saw a person that was skiing down the hill on a strip of snow. He wanted to get to know Bear because Bear has a Facebook.
We went up a bit further. At about 0.8 miles from the top, there was a rock wall. Katrina was sitting on the wall. Tommy was walking with me. He ran ahead to sit next to her. I went up the path to sit on wall with them. When I tried to sit on the wall, it started to tip. I was flung backwards. Katrina got flung forward. Tommy got his foot caught by the rock and got smashed, at least that is what I think. All I saw was the rock rolling down the hill until it was out of sight. Then I looked down and Tommy and Kat were on the trail below. Kat was bleeding so much it was pouring out of her head. I could barely see the outline of her face, dad was yelling at the top of his lungs screaming like I never heard him before. Tommy was lying there not moving. I ran down there crying. So many people were around Kat that I decided to sit by Tommy because he was hurt too though you could not see any blood. When Tommy started going down the hill dad held him by his pants. That is when he saw the cut on Tommy’s leg. It went ¾ around and we saw right to the bone, but the weird thing is that it was not bleeding.
Then a nice woman walked me down. When I got down the park rangers started questioning me. They were trying to make it look like it was our fault. They were asking if we were pushing the wall, if we were jumping on the wall and if we were trying to make it fall. It made me mad. We are not bad kids. We like nature. After that, someone made me a really good peanut butter sandwich. I made a friend down at the bottom of the mountain, but all I could think of was mom coming down and saying, “Brittany, your brother and sister are dead.” It started raining and I got really worried about my family. Then I saw the helicopters come to get them. When my mom finally came down the first thing she said was “Brittany, Tommy did not make it.” We cried for a long time. Then they questioned us one by one. By the time we left, it was getting late. It was a scary drive to the hospital, because one time dad slammed on the brakes saying that it should have been him. We had to calm him down so that we could get to the hospital. I was not allowed to see Katrina the first and second day. The days in the hospital blurred together. The pain and the sadness mixed, making for the worst experience that ever happened to me. This is my side of my family’s tragedy. 
Reeds Creek School Keeps Tommy’s Memory Alive
Feb. 5th and 6th, Reeds Creek School will be hosting the 1st annual Tommy Botell Memorial Basketball Tournament at the Bethel Assembly of God Church on Luther Street in Red Bluff California.
This is an all Boys Tournament with teams coming from Reeds Creek, Lassen View, Los Molinos, and Sacred Heart Schools. Custom-made trophies featuring the last picture taken of our Tommy 
will be given to the tournament winners. 8 teams will play 16 games in hopes of winning a “Big Tommy” for their school’s trophy case. Mr. Jake Hosler, Principal of Reeds Creek School, says that his goal is to, eventually, have a “Tommy Trophy” in every display case in every school in Tehama County.
Tommy played just about every sport. He wrestled for the Top Fuelers. He was a baseball player for the Red Bluff Little League. He swam for the Red Bluff Tritons. He loved playing soccer for the RBYSL. He was active in all the “in town” sports, which is why he has friends at all the schools competing for one of his trophies. However, because of his age, he never had a chance to play a sport for his school. He was looking forward to 5th grade and the opportunity to be a part of the Reeds Creek Panther team. We have a basketball hoop in our front yard. He used to shoot hoops with his sister. He was a tall boy and was going to be a very tall young man. He would have made a great basketball player.
This basketball tournament means so much to me. In a way, I feel as though Tommy will be a part of the game. It is also so comforting to know that he will not be forgotten. He may not be here to play, but I know those boys will be playing with all their hearts…in honor of their friend, Tommy.
TOMMY’S MEMORY WILL LIVE ON… FOREVER!!
“His Smile Shines” By Eric Rudnick
He is up flying and climbing where the angels soar
Above the majestic mountains peaks
His smile shines brighter now than all the falling stars
It brightens our lives no end
His memory warms our hearts and minds
Being all boy, his pants knees showed
His triumphs plenty to be recalled
Graduating from Tiger Cub to Webelos Scout with his tartan held high
Loyal friend to those he knew
A kind and gentle soul
He always tried his best
He is up flying and climbing where the angels soar
Above the majestic mountains peaks
His smile shines brighter now than all the falling stars
To brightens our lives no end
He left us too soon before we really knew him
First Christmas in Heaven
I see the countless Christmas trees
Around the world below,
With tiny lights like heaven’s stars
Reflecting in the snow.
The sight is so spectacular
please wipe away that tear
for I am spending CHRISTMAS
WITH JESUS CHRIST this year.
I hear the many Christmas songs
that people hold so dear
but the sound of music can’t compare
with the CHRISTMAS CHOIR up here.
I have no words to tell you
of the JOY their voices bring
for it is beyond description
to HEAR THE ANGELS SING.
I know how much you miss me,
I see the pain inside your heart
for I am spending CHRISTMAS
WITH JESUS CHRIST this year.
I can’t tell you of the SPLENDOR
or the PEACE here in this place
Can you just imagine CHRISTMAS
WITH OUR SAVIOR face to face
I’ll ask him to lift your spirit
as I tell him of your love
so then PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER
as you lift your eyes above.
Please let your hearts be joyful
and let your spirit sing
for I am spending CHRISTMAS IN HEAVEN
and I’m walking WITH THE KING.
Author Unknown
Camp McLoughlin
To the Botell Family and Pack 154,
It is with deepest sympathy that we extend our condolences for the loss of Tommy. His spirit and enthusiasm for scouting will be sorely missed. My staff was deeply impacted by the news of your loss. We spent a moment to gather ourselves before starting our final camp session of the year. We reflected on our time spent with Tommy at the waterfront remembering his warm smile and motivation to succeed. We fondly remember his participation in our 1st annual Camp McLoughlin Regatta and the big smile he had as he received his regatta award at the Sunday night campfire. As a result, we have immortalized Tommy and his enthusiasm by renaming our annual regatta in his memory. The final session of camp this year had the campers lined up to man their canoes for the 1st Annual Tommy Botell Memorial Regatta. A buddy tag has been hung in the dining hall of Camp Mcloughlin in memory of Tommy and the regatta that will forever bear his name.
Sincerely,
King Todd and my Water Front Staff
Hug Your Kids Every Day!!
“We’re not promised tomorrow with our kids, so take advantage of every moment you have with them, spend time with them, let them know you love them, because you might not have a tomorrow.”
Tommy & Mommy
The Spirit of the Eagle by Ben Nichols
The Spirit of the Eagle Award is very unique in that it is the only posthumous award in Scouting. That is to say, it is the only award that is actually intended to be awarded after the death of a Scout. Due to the nature of the award, the requirements are very simple. In order to be eligible, a Scout must have lost his life in a tragic accident. There are people, even Scouters that have been leaders for 20 or 30 years, who have never even heard of, much less seen, a Spirit of the Eagle Award. It is an honor to know that such an award exists, and to see a ceremony for an award that is so rarely earned, but at the same time, I would prefer never to be given reason to see another being awarded.
The Spirit of the Eagle is intended to commemorate the life that a Scout led, the joys that a Scout got out of Scouting, and the effects of Scouting in his life in general. It is also Scouting’s way of showing to a Scout’s family that their son has touched the lives of Scouts and Scouters across the nation, and that he will be remembered. All of this and more has been true of Tommy.
Tommy was a good model Scout. He followed the Boy Scout Oath and Law, and the Cub Scout Promise and Law of the Pack, in his life as well as any boy I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with. He has been a good friend to those he knew, and seemed to have the ability to bring out the best in the other people around him as well.
I think I speak for all of the members, leaders, and parents in the Pack that knew Tommy when I say that Tommy will be sorely missed. Tommy will never be forgotten by any of us. Although he is no longer with us, he will live on in every one of our hearts, and his memory will always serve as a reminder of what it means to be a good Scout, and of what Scouting can, and should, mean to a boy.
My hat is off to you, Tommy. You never crossed into the Boy Scouts, but you are an Eagle just the same. Fly high and free, until we meet again.
In the Wake of Tommy’s Death
In the past days, I have opened my ears enough to learn of the events that transpired in other peoples’ lives after learning of our accident. I have been so touched to learn about the power my Tommy’s life and death had on others. I received a firsthand account of the events that transpired at “Spirit West Coast”—from receiving the devastating first phone call, to the lives that were changed. I have also received a letter from a fellow Cub Scout mom telling me about her son’s personal journey with the grief. Her letter made me think of starting a comment area for people that would like to share what they felt, what they experienced, and even what they have gotten out of all that has happened. I have received permission to share her letter with you. Please feel free to share with me.
Memories
Please share your memories of Tommy with me. Even if it is one that I have heard before. Even if you have more than one. I want to keep them all to look back on and give thanks for my little man’s life. I will share as well. Thank you.
Hiking Tragedy Through My Eyes By Katrina
Tommy & his Big Sis Katrina
My family and I were hiking up Mount Lassen on July 29. We had befriended a few families while hiking and had just met a man about two miles up the mountain who was going to ski down the mountain. After talking to him we hiked farther up and watched the man ski down the mountain from a distance. I got a sudden burst of energy and decided to get ahead a ways so that I could stop and take a break later when I got out of breath. My brother, Tommy, came with me. After a while, I stopped and sat down on the side of the path and put my bag down behind me. Tommy, who had lagged behind a ways, was coming up the path and I swung my legs over the side of the retaining wall to face him. He looked like he was bracing himself to climb the wall to sit by me and I started laughing and told him to go around. He looked up at me and smiled. Then he rounded the corner, sat down next to me and swung his legs over the side too. He was so happy with himself to get this far and had a huge smile on his face. We watched our mom, sister, and dad who was carrying our dog, Bear, climb the path. I looked down to change the song on my iPod and when I looked up I saw my sister round the corner. She pointed at a few small rocks rolling out from under the retaining wall and said, “Look a mini avalanche.” A ways behind her my mom and dad were waving and we waved back.
My sister was about to sit down next to Tommy when I heard a scream and felt myself being flung forward. I closed my eyes and when I opened them again I was on my side facing the mountain. I couldn’t feel anything. In seconds my dad was there and he rolled me onto my back. I heard him screaming franticly “Somebody help us!”. Then my mom was there holding my head. The only thing I could see was my dad covered in my own blood and one of my brother’s feet. All of a sudden, the feeling came back to my body and I realized I was drowning. My mom and dad realized this at the same time and tilted my head up so that I could spit out the blood. I looked over at Tommy and saw that he was in a fetal position, screaming and kicking my leg. My sister, Brittany, came down to where we were, crying hysterically. My dad started yelling, “Get off the wall!” while my mom yelled “Help us!” Then my dad looked down at me and asked me if I was ok. I realized I could move my arms and legs and gave him a thumbs up. I heard Tommy say, “Mommy, I can’t see.”
Finally, a few of the people around us came to help. Tommy, who had started to slide down the mountain, was pulled back up so that they could begin CPR. I heard that someone was going to lead Brittany down the mountain and she left. My dad repeatedly told me to spit the blood out at him and asked if I was ok. Each time I would spit and give him a thumbs up. The pain in my face was overwhelming. After a while I started to get worried that I might have brain damage so I started doing the multiplication tables and a few songs that I learned in forth grade in my head to test my memory. I stopped when I heard a horrible gurgling sound coming in Tommy’s direction. I realized that it was because they were doing CPR. The noise still really scared me.
Finally, I don’t know how long later, the helicopter came. I heard someone say to my mom, “We’re going to take your daughter up first.” I felt relief that I could finally be taken to the hospital and scared for my brother. They lifted me onto a sling and strapped me in well. They didn’t cover my eyes though, so as the helicopter flew away I could see the mountains and the sky around me. I was slowly lifted up beside the helicopter where I stayed for the rest of the trip. When the helicopter landed I was rolled over and put into the next one. In that helicopter they numbed me and I felt so much relief that I started to fall asleep. The people in the helicopter made sure I stayed awake and every time my eyes would drift closed they would tell me to open them and to stay awake.
We eventually landed and I was rolled into the hospital. I heard someone ask “Do we know who she is?”. Then, they started repeatedly guessing and asking me what my name was. I tried to tell them but everything came out as mumbles. They put staples in my head, and stitches and needles in my arm. Eric Rudnick, a family friend, came after a while and asked me if I knew who he was. I mumbled a response and they seemed to take that as a yes. I kept throwing up blood and they tried sticking tubes down my throat, but I gagging on them. Then I had a cat scan done and was rolled into another room where I spent the night. That night was hard. My nose was clogged up so I had to use my mouth to breath. I had so much blood still in my mouth that I sounded like I was gurgling mouthwash as I breathed. I woke up hourly and was constantly poked with needles.
Morning finally came, and my mom and dad came in to see me. It took almost all of my energy just to choke out, “Happy Birthday Daddy.” He smiled at me and looked like he was about to cry. I turned to my mom and asked “How is Tommy?” She looked depressed and said that he was lifted away in the helicopter. That’s when I realized that he was gone.
About Tommy
On July 29, 2009, Tommy Botell was killed by a rock retaining wall that collapsed while hiking with his family at Lassen Volcanic National Forest.
Tommy's sister Katrina, was seriously injured and suffered numerous facial fractures.
Tommy was a dedicated scout, a fan of Indiana Jones, a budding adventurer and a beloved son and brother.
Tommy died in the loving arms of his mother. He was 9 years old.
This site is dedicated to his memory and keeping that memory alive.
