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Accident Injures Civil Air Patrol Cadets At Florida Encampment

A serious accident occurred at the Civil Air Patrol's Florida Wing Summer Encampment at the Florida Army National Guard's Camp Blanding training site, near Starke, on Friday night, injuring two cadets, one seriously, the CAP has reported.

Cadet Major Andrea Bastista, 16, a cadet from the Miami Springs Optimist Cadet Squadron and a cadet staff officer at the encampment, was injured when she was struck by a moving all-terrain vehicle. She was airlifted from Camp Blanding to Gainesville Regional Hospital at the University of Florida, where she remains in intensive care.

The Florida Wing's Cadet Programs Directorate has set up a Web e-mail address, getwell@flcadet.com , for those wishing to offer Andrea their prayers and best wishes, said CAP Lt. Col. George Navarini, the Florida Wing's state director of public affairs and mission information officer for the encampment.

Andrea, a junior at Miami Palmetto High School, joined the Civil Air Patrol in August 2004, following in her sister, Alysandra's footsteps. She earned the Amelia Earhart Award in April 2007. Andrea is also the 2007 Florida Wing Phase Three Cadet of the Year.

Another cadet injured in the incident was treated for minor injuries and released.

Although the CAP did not identify the vehicle's driver and did not say if any charges have been filed, sources at the scene told the Tampa, Fla.-based online military e-zine News of the Force (newsoftheforce.org) today that a CAP cadet was driving the all-terrain vehicle when the accident occurred.

The Civil Air Patrol is the uniformed, volunteer Auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.

Related site: www.cap.gov.