BUY THE TICKET, TAKE THE RIDE

Dave Buschow signed up for a $3,175 wilderness-survival course designed to test his limits. He wound up dying of thirst, accompanied by guides carrying emergency water.

The Boulder Outdoor Survival School has some 'splaining to do. According to The Associated Press, the 29-year-old Buschow died two days into his adventure, "face down in the dirt, less than 100 yards from the goal: a cave with a pool of water." His guides didn't give him water because they "wanted him to dig deep, push himself beyond his known limits, and make it to the cave on his own."

From the story:

While regretting the tragedy, the school, known as BOSS, has denied any negligence and instead blamed Buschow, saying the security officer and former Air Force airman did not read course materials, may have withheld health information and may have eaten too heavily before leaving River Vale, N.J., for the grueling course.

Noting Buschow signed liability waivers, the school said: "Mr. Buschow expressly assumed the risk of serious injury or death prior to participating."

Garfield County authorities declined to file charges, saying there was insufficient evidence the school acted with criminal negligence. The prosecutor said participants knew they were taking a risk.

The U.S. Forest Service, however, has stopped BOSS from using Dixie National Forest for a portion of the 28-day course this summer until it gets outside advice on providing food and water. The agency said it was the first death of a participant in a BOSS survival exercise.

In the hours before he died, Bushow hallucinated under a pitiless sun. At one point his delusions made him see a tree as a person, and with a thick tongue he croaked: "There she is."