Seven Boy Scouts and three adults from Troop Paoli 1 in Wayne, PA, were awarded National Certificates of Merit from the Boy Scouts of America. This follows a rescue carried out in July, 2011 on the Loyalsock trail in the Loyalsock State Forest near Laporte, PA. The scouts had been backpacking on the Loyalsock trail and swimming at a local spot known as the Haystacks. Late in the afternoon, they rendered assistance to a man in his early 30s who had a compound frature of his left foot. Completely out of mobile phone range and with no authorities to provide help, the scouts provided first aid to the foot, created a make-shift stretcher from a backpack, rope and towels, and, over the next three hours, carried the man over 2.5 miles in 90 degree heat. For this action, they were awared the National Certificates of Merit.

(Photo, left to right: Scoutmaster Mike Magnotta, Doug Miller, Brendan Miller, Ethan Miller, Ben Hand, Ravi Tata, Nathan Rose, Chris Hand, Bill Rose, and troop committee member Craig Hadden. Missing from photo: Scouts Redmond Watson and Anthony Sabol).

http://te.patch.com/announcements/troop-paoli-1-boys-awarded-national-certificate-of-merit