Dave Bushow, 29, River Vale, N.J., died at about 7:30 p.m. in the rugged Cottonwood Wash area east of Boulder, Utah. It was the first day of a 28-day survival course offered by Colorado-based Boulder Outdoor Survival School.

It is the school's first fatality in 18 years, said Josh Bernstein, president and chief executive officer.

The group of 12 students and three instructors left a water source at 9 a.m. and hiked all day in high temperatures without additional water. The group was several hundred yards from water when Dave Bushow passed out and died.

Unbeknownst to students, survival school instructors carry water. But they make it available only in emergencies, Bernstein said.

Bushow said his brother repeatedly told instructors he was thirsty.

"They told me he was cramping and complaining of fatigue. I said, 'Didn't that raise a red flag?' They told me they'd been doing this for a long time and nobody ever died."

Indeed, it's not something the school has faced before.

"This is a tragedy. Our condolences go out to the family," Bernstein said. "But we feel this is an anomaly."

That doesn't cut it for Bushow's family.

"Those people aren't going to get away with killing my brother. It's black and white. They let him die," Rob Bushow said.

Bernstein says reasons for the death are unclear. "We are trying to learn what happened. We are waiting for the autopsy and don't want to speculate."

The school's course is rigorous. Bernstein said that during the first two days, participants are not allowed to carry water or food.

The group is, however, eventually led to water and food in nature.

Rob Bushow said his brother was in excellent physical condition and made his living as a contract security operative, often working abroad in hazardous locations.

"The whole point is to teach them how to survive. But this is like rule No. 1 of what you don't do: Hike in the hot sun all day without water. He paid $3,000 to learn skills, not to be tortured to death," he said.

However, participants sign up for the Boulder Outdoor Survival School knowing it will be physically challenging, Bernstein said.

"They know they will be pushed beyond their comfort zone and should be training for weeks and months beforehand."

Although the hike took 10 hours, it was only four miles in length, Bernstein said.

"It was a hot day, and much of the time they spent sitting in the shade." During these breaks, "we were giving them lessons in survival skills."

Dave Bushow did complain of cramps and fatigue, the school's CEO conceded, but "there was nothing about his symptoms different than the others. The instructors were assessing him. We know about dehydration. We know about heat exhaustion."

Bushow was to be buried today.

"We're just taking this one step at a time," his brother said. "We'll see what the autopsy has to say."

csmart@sltrib.com