Joseph Douglas Bolt Jr. did not get a lot out of this life. He ended in foster care and people failed to supervise him so he downed in a lake. While the Alpine Boys Ranch managed to deal with the lack of interest of the state to increase security, the insurance companies saw the entire setup of the ranch as a security risk and increased the prices so the ranch had to end their dangerous operations.
All this came too late to save the life of a 17-year-old boy who never should have been allowed to swim without anyone testing if he could deal with the conditions. The lack of care ended his short life and brought grief to his family and friends.
Maybe the state will ask more in the future from the facilities, they allow to operate.
May the poor boy rest in peace.
Sources
- Joseph Douglas Bolt Jr. (Find a grave)
- DSHS takes action against ranch where boy drowned (Kitsap Sun)
- Insurance woes force boys ranch to close (The Seattle Times)
