Nicholas Trout: Another High School Student Dies of Alcohol Poisoning

High school senior Nicholas Trout dies of alcohol poisoning Dec 4, 2004.  "He was the kind of kid that you would never imagine this to happen to," said Jim Lucas, Nick's principal. "He played soccer at Cañon City High School. He was well- liked, a good student, and a good person."  His BAC may have been as high as 0.404.  His mother did not know to call 911 when her son was unarousable, although with a BAC that high, he may have died anyway.

Alcohol kills "all-American" teen

Tamra Trout dropped her oldest son, Nick Trout, at his friend's house about 5:30 p.m. Dec. 3 to play video games. "Check in with you later," said Nick, 18, as he got out of the car. "Sure," his mother thought to herself. "I won't see you for hours."

At midnight, Tamra was awakened by a knock at the door. Nick, the young man his principal called the "all-American kid," was passed out, unconscious on the front porch. Too much whiskey. One of Nick's friends helped Tamra carry the Florence High School senior inside his home. "I went and got him a blanket," she said. He slept on the floor outside her bedroom.

At 8 a.m. Saturday, she checked on him. "I put my hand on his back," she said. Then, she screamed for her husband, Rex. Nick had no pulse. They dialed 911.  "He was gone," Tamra Trout said.

Dr. Dorothy Twellman, the Fremont County coroner, said Nick's blood-alcohol content was 0.263, but it had been as high as 0.404. In Colorado, the legal limit for driving under the influence is 0.08.

Three college students, Samantha Spady, a CSU student; Lynn "Gordie" Bailey Jr., a University of Colorado student, and Joseph Michael Osborne, a Colorado Mountain College student in Steamboat Springs, have already died of alcohol poisoning this semester.

Last Friday afternoon, Nick Trout had been to the naval recruiter in Cañon City. He had scored high on a military test and was to serve in the Navy's nuclear program. He wanted to be a biochemical engineer.

Tamra Trout wants the youths in southern Colorado to come and see him in his casket from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the Charles Anthony Funeral Home on Main Street in Florence, a town of 5,000. "I don't know if it's shock treatment or not, but I want them to see him," she said.

On the night he died, Nick had been to two parties. At the second one, a 30- year-old Florence man allegedly provided alcohol, Twellman said. Florence police Sgt. Sean Humphrey said the case has been forwarded to the district attorney's office for consideration of charges against the adult and 11 youngsters for under-age drinking.

Twellman said that after Nick passed out, some teenagers wrote on him with a magic marker.The teens, at first, put Nick in a van. Then, one carload of teens drove him home and put him on his porch. A boy in a second car, feeling as though something was wrong, knocked on the door.  Tamra Trout said she wants to see more alcohol awareness in schools and in communities. She believes young people drink more hard alcohol than in previous years.

"He was the kind of kid that you would never imagine this to happen to," said Jim Lucas, Nick's principal. "He played soccer at Cañon City High School. He was well- liked, a good student, and a good person."  In lieu of flowers, Tamra Trout requests that donations be sent to DARE programs in local police departments.

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a href="http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~2592404,00.html">Nick Trout "was a cool guy; everybody liked him. All the girls wanted to date him," said Adrienne Williams, 15.

<"She's coming not to grind on them (kids) but to let them know the physiology of what happens and what they can do, and if they don't, when she steps in to take you to the morgue," said Jim Lucas, principal at Florence High School. They may have a lot of work ahead of them.

"If you play sports, there you go, but if you don't, there's really nothing else to do," said Todd O'Brien, 19, a recent Florence High graduate who now does electrical work in town. "You can go skate now, that's helped a lot. Other than that, it's about all there is to do in this town except go hang out with friends and drink."

There are many factors that contribute to underage drinking here, aside from having nothing to do.

Many parents in Florence commute to Colorado Springs or Pueblo for work. That means they are away from home longer and children are without supervision. And the prison workers who live in Florence are at work during evenings and weekends.

"Lack of supervision or guidance, and lack of communication with parents, all this leads to very destructive behavior," Smitley said.

<"I think it will teach grownups to say 'No, you're too young. We're not going to buy you any,"' Wilson said. Liquor is easy to come by, say teens in Florence. "All you have to do is stand outside the liquor store and ask someone, give them the money and a little extra, and you'll get whatever you want," said Denessa Barnes, 14.

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In all cases, my deepest condolences to family and friends.

Underage Alcohol Deaths 2004
Underage Alcohol Deaths 2005
Underage Alcohol Deaths 2006

Signs of Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol depresses nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing, the heartbeat and the gag reflex that prevents choking. A fatal dose of alcohol will eventually stop these functions. After the victim stops drinking, the heart keeps beating, and the alcohol in the stomach continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate through the system. The victim may experience the following:

• Mental confusion, stupor, coma, unable to rouse the person
• No response to pinching the skin
• Vomiting while sleeping or unresponsive
• Seizures
• Slowed breathing  (fewer than 8 breaths per minute)
• Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths)
• Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, paleness

Alcohol Poisoning Requires Immediate Medical Attention

Alcohol Poisoning Cannot Be Reversed By:

• Drinking black coffee
• Taking a cold bath or shower
• Walking it off

The victim must have immediate medical attention.
Call 911, stay with the victim to prevent him choking on vomit, and tell emergency personnel how much alcohol the victim drank.

These Children Died of Alcohol Overdose, So Their Parents Started Foundations:

Taylor Webster's memorial foundation.  Taylor died of alcohol  poisoning at age 19-- Now his family and friends are working  to get the message out, telling their stories and providing  information on alcohol poisoning and the signs and symtoms  of alcohol poisoning in hopes that lives will be saved.

Bradley McCue's memorial foundation.  On November 5, 1998  Bradley turned 21. . He celebrated  his birthday in a way that has become increasingly popular, drinking "his  age in shots". That amount of alcohol was lethal and he died  that night of alcohol poisoning.

Samantha Spady's memorial foundation. A 19-year old student at Colorado State University, Spady died of alcohol poisoning on September 5, 2004, "an unintentional tragedy."  The Spadys say the SAM [Student Alcohol Management] Spady Foundation will develop peer-to-peer counseling and other services meant to reduce the risk of alcohol abuse.

Gordie Bailey's memorial foundation Mission: to provide today’s youth with the skills to navigate the dangers of alcohol, and through education and promotion of self worth prevent alcohol poisoning, binge drinking and hazing. 

Kimberly Ostien's memorial foundation: "With binge drinking on the rise, we feel it necessary to get the message out on the danger of alcohol, especially excessive alcohol consumed in a short period of time.  Students are educated on drugs and alcohol but they will continue to experiment no matter what.  We want to educate on what to do when a friend falls down or passes out from drinking.  Often we want to put that person to bed to sleep it off and that is when the trouble can begin."  The card lists the information, above.

Comments

[Unknown]

Non of you fools now the truth and are makeing it seem like a murder so shut your pie holes if anyone was at fault that would be jis mom for not taking him to the ER

[unknown]

you must be drunk typing that. It wasnt his moms fault...it was everyones fault at that party. if i remember correctly, the word 'faggot' was written on him and his 'friends' that dropped him off the first time LEFT him on the porch, the second car drove by and saw him laying there....keep in mind it was DECEMBER in Colorado...some friends they were.
RIP Nick

[a close friend that misses him dearly]

I don't care whose fault it was. I was a close friend of his when he lived in Big Timber I know that no matter what non of us would be crude enough to just drop him off on the front door and write all over his body. I don't know what kind of friends he got stuck with down there but obvisously they weren't the kind to care. Tamra we all love you very much and miss you and the kids like crazy. RIP Nick!