10/10/2009 1:25:00 PM No charges yet in sweat lodge deaths
Lisa Irish/ The Daily Courier Lt. David Rhodes of the criminal investigation bureau of the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office speaks to the media during a press conference Saturday at the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors Room in Prescott. Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh, at left, also provided information.
Tom Tingle/ The Arizona Republic, AP Investigators look over a "sweat lodge" on the grounds of Angel Valley Retreat Center, near Sedona. Two people died and an estimated 19 others were taken to hospitals after being overcome while sitting in the sauna-like sweat lodge during a Sedona spiritual retreat.
Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh identified two people who died after participating in a sweat lodge ceremony that was the culmination of a "Spiritual Warrior" conference run by James Arthur Ray at the Angel Valley Retreat Center on Sedona Thursday.
James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee, Wis., and Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y., died at Verde Valley Medical Center at 6:36 p.m. Thursday, Waugh said at a Saturday press conference at the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors Room in Prescott.
More than 20 participants were transported by ambulance, air and private vehicles for care at the Verde Valley Medical Center, Flagstaff Medical Center and the Sedona Medical Center. Three patients remain in fair condition and one is in critical condition at the Flagstaff Medical Center, said Starla Addair-Collins, public relations specialist at Flagstaff Medical Center.
"Right now there are no criminal charges pending, and we do not know at this point if there ever will be," Lt. David Rhodes of the YCSO criminal investigation bureau said at the press conference. "We haven't encountered anything like this before."
Waugh also said Ray, who led the sweat lodge ceremony, refused to talk to investigators on site and returned to California.
"We will at some point in time schedule another interview with him," Waugh said.
"I do not know why he chose not to speak with us," Rhodes added. "Everyone else we have spoken with has been very forthcoming with information."
The sweat lodge ceremony Thursday afternoon was the culmination of a four-day retreat in the Sedona area, Waugh said. Ray had hosted events at the resort, including sweat lodges, before, and investigators are following up to see if any similar incidents had happened at previous events. Rhodes said the owners of the resort, the participants and Ray's staff on site are all part of the investigation.
"We are investigating it, at this point in time, as a death investigation," Waugh said. "If there are items that we are looking at that will turn this into a criminal investigation, I will not share it at this time."
A 911 call at 5 p.m. Thursday reported two people at the sweat dome had no pulse. When YCSO officers responded at 5:42 p.m., they found people in medical distress, complaining of illness, and two who were unresponsive and in critical condition.
Investigators interviewed 65 people of the 71 on site from the time they arrived until 3 a.m. Friday. Seven people were paid staff, including Ray, seven were volunteers, and 50 people were paying participants, Waugh said.
"We continue monitoring the condition of participants," Waugh said.
"We believe 50 to 60 people were in the lodge at the time that these deaths occurred," Waugh said.
Spiritual Warrior program participants attended lectures from Sunday to Tuesday, Waugh said. At 10 p.m. Tuesday, participants began a vision quest in surrounding canyons. The vision quest was a 36-hour period of fasting and spiritual exercises, Waugh said. Thursday morning, vision quest ended at daybreak and participants ate a buffet breakfast of eggs, fruit and cereal. Waugh said. Participants were also encouraged to drink water, he said. From midmorning until 3 p.m., participants attended lectures and seminars.
At 3 p.m., participants began the sweat lodge ceremony, with each sweat lodge session lasting from 15 to 30 minutes. Some participants said the original plan was for eight sweat lodge experiences, Waugh said.
In one round, Ray led the participants in various spiritual exercises, Waugh said. Many of the participants were from out of state, and one is from Canada, Rhodes said.
According to investigators, the first round began when 12 cantaloupe-sized rocks were brought into the lodge, water was put on the rocks to create steam and sandalwood was thrown on the rocks to give the effect of incense. At the end of each round, the door flap was raised and new rocks were brought in. Investigators found 58 rocks in the pit when they arrived at the lodge.
After the fourth round, two participants were dragged to the door by people in the lodge, Waugh said.
Ray's staff built the lodge, a temporary structure, with a frame of juniper and oak and covered it with many layers of blankets, comforters and tarps. The lodge is 415 square feet, just 53 inches high in the center, and 30 inches high on the edges. Fifty to 60 people were in the lodge during the ceremony, Waugh said.
"So literally no one could stand up in the lodge," Waugh said.
"We're estimating 50 to 65 people in an area 415 square feet - that is very tight quarters," Rhodes said. "The only ventilation was the door, the one entrance, when it was open."
Autopsies were conducted by the medical examiner of Yavapai County on Friday and results and toxicology are pending. Waugh said determining the actual cause of death may take up to 10 days.
Samples were taken from the fabric covering the roof, firewood, and other items inside and around the lodge to aid in the investigation.
Shore is survived by his wife and three children, a brother in Chicago, and other family members. Brown is survived by her parents, Waugh said.
Posted: Monday, October 19, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
As pathetic as James Ray is, and as much as i would love to see him pay through the civil and criminal process, it is scary to know that people would actually pay someone $9695 for this nonsense.Wake up.He is a snake oil salesman, he needs to be stopped!
Posted: Saturday, October 17, 2009
Article comment by:
Ismira
Even though sweatlodges or related things have been a custum other than NDN traditions ,it is quite obviously that the Native American people do have the best knowledge of how to perform such rituals .It would be much better and safer to attend sweatlodges conducted by Native Americans than by new age WannabeS . It would also help and promte a deeper understanding of the Native People in the USA and their culture and to give generous donation to poor reservations.
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Just calculate how much money he will get out of it ... Do you really think you can buy spiritual growth ??? with $$$$$$ the more you pay the more you get???
Posted: Thursday, October 15, 2009
Article comment by:
W to the
I feel for the families of the people who lost their lives. If Mr. Ray "studied" the ceremony he missed the part about not having 50 people in it for 2 hours. Having been in several sweat lodges (and being Native American) I have never heard of such. It doesn't cost 9-10 grand, and emergency staff was never warranted or needed. Hopefully, people will leave Native traditions alone.
Posted: Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Article comment by:
Rancher up north
Call me "old age" rather than "New Age" if you like, but in my eyes, this looks like a bastardization of what is traditionally a freely-given, purposefully small, sacred ceremony.
Posted: Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Article comment by:
Dont drink the kool aid
Jonestown had a guy like him .
Posted: Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Article comment by:
Disgust
In the 20 yrs I have attended Native American ceremonies / sweat lodges run by Native Americans I have never heard of such a thing as what was done in Sedona .
Never was anyone ever taken to a hospital .
Reading the comment on page two of this says a lot . A woman who participated in one of James Ray Arthur's bogus ceremonies felt ripped off and his office refused to contact her and taking her $7,000 pretty much says it all . She is alive to say it !
This guy should be stopped . I hope the civil suits pile up as high as his ego .
For Dr Hollis' defense of such a practice as what went on in sedona is abominable. To say that it was merely a lack of trained medical professionals is ludicrous .
What they did in sedona was not in any way related to native american sweat lodge or ceremony .
Posted: Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
I am in agreement with many who have commented on this unfortunate event especially with Dr. Hollis. I have participated in the vision quest, and sweat lodge ceremony. I am also a sundancer, yet in 20 plus years money has not exchanged hands for the honor "the people" have so graciously bestowed by accepting me as family. James Ray has dishonored his family and the ways of his people and I suspect there are those in his community who are deeply ashamed of his choices and at the same time are grateful for the gas that fuels their cars, the food they eat, cloths for the children, and more. As the Gringo said maybe go to the reservation of your choice and do some work for the community, a greater understanding could be yours.
Posted: Monday, October 12, 2009
Article comment by:
Old Gringo
Dr Hollis speak with forked tongue ! In what universe would some phony-baloney self help guru be "more qualified and better understand the ceremony" than the People ?
Posted: Sunday, October 11, 2009
Article comment by:
Money Does Not Buy Happiness
I truly feel sorry for the two who passed away (and their families) along with all the others who were harmed; don't let my 'name' fool you to thinking otherwise. That said, it is still beyond me how people think they can buy their way to some greater understanding of life, or a greater appreciation of life, over just plain common sense and living and learning as you go along. Whatever happened to "I make my choices and live with the consequences?"
Posted: Sunday, October 11, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Native American Ceremonies are sacred events from the creator and should only be led by natives or those who have been given rights by the native people. True ceremony does not include a price tag! Unfortunately this appears to be another example of white mans greed. Each time I crawl I give myself to the creator with no expectations and receive huge spiritual benefits to share with all people.
Posted: Sunday, October 11, 2009
Article comment by:
earth school
May the blessings of the spirit be upon those who have suffered. May the light of love shine on all who were involved, and may each person find themselves stronger because of these sad circumstances.
Any time there is a ceremony involved it is powerful. Whether or not the person leading the ceremony knows all the ramifications of the ceremony depends on how much time they have spent learning. Always research the person you want to learn from, and then take the ceremony or skill back to nature and test it thoroughly in every way. Always make sure that your intent is pure, and not self serving in any way.
Please don't let this tragedy distract you from learning and seeking a more pure spiritual life.
Posted: Sunday, October 11, 2009
Article comment by:
PETE
The deaths do not make sense ( two "healthy") people, I wonder what all they put on those heated rocks besides water , or in the water itself or if the plastic melting from the steam gave off something toxic ? It as if something created a allergic reaction or induced a respiratory failure , aside from the fact that this "lodge" was done completely wrong from my understanding of how they are done traditionally.
I am glad the YCSO is looking into this.
Posted: Sunday, October 11, 2009
Article comment by:
just courious
I'm sure that Mr. Ray went to the Yavapai County Building Dept. with plans and obtained permits to build this temporary structure, and then have the county inspect the structure before it could be occupied. I'm also sure that the then posted occupancy load was not exceeded for monetary purposes(yeah right!). This sort of thing happens when individuals ignore building, health, and fire codes.
Posted: Sunday, October 11, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Life is dangerous. These people made a choice to put themselves in a potentially dangerous situation, believing that the benefits outweighed the risks. Enough said.
Posted: Sunday, October 11, 2009
Article comment by:
Dr. Hollis
I know James Ray's work and have attended several of his other conferences. James is a tracker of personal power and seeks to understand and share with his attendees all of the global cultural practices, concepts and philosophies that enhance personal power. With all due respect to the Native American commentator, the sweat lodge was just one of the many ceremonies and philosophies he has studied. I dare say James has probably studied it more than and understands it in even more depth and more intently than the commentator. The sweat lodge is just one part of the conference, albeit a potentially dangerous part of the conference. One critical problem seems to have been medical judgment and the lack of emergency preparedness. For the past 7 years James has had 50 people do the same event without loss of life. ... This kind of event should've demanded a higher level practitioner i.e. Physician Assistant, Nurse practitioner or Physician who could've acted more aggressively to prevent loss of life.
There should've been on site:
#1-Supplemental Oxygen available (38-40 y.o. healthy people succumbed to carbon DIOXIDE excess and hypoxia -(low available O2) from the shear number of people breathing in and out in the closed space as well as heat exhaustion due to the elevated temperature. As well the altitude should've required O2 availability to prevent altitude sickness after the hike.
#2 IV Fluid availability. This is the treatment for dehydration from profuse sweating and heat exhaustion.
#3 There should've been a Portable External Defibrillator available for such a time as this. Every second is critical when a person is in full arrest. This was a tragic event, but better medical preparedness would've prevented loss of life .
