Honoring Hunter Scofield: How Three Men Moved a 1,200-Pound Marble Stone to Memorialize His Legacy

Honoring Hunter Scofield: How Three Men Moved a 1,200-Pound Marble Stone to Create a Lasting Memorial in Lake Luzerne

Hadley, Lake Luzerne, Town of Day, Fourth Lake, Lake Vanare, Stony Creek—The tragic loss of 15-year-old Hunter Scofield in a rollover bus crash on July 5, 2014, shook the Hadley-Luzerne community. In the years since, his friends and family have worked tirelessly to keep his memory alive. But for three men who never met him—William Cason V (HL Class of 2001), Kevin Swinton (HL Class of 2002), and Christopher Healy (HL Class of 2003)—that wasn’t enough.

They wanted something bigger. Something permanent. Something worthy of a young man whose life was cut too short.

A Plan Born from a Conversation

It all started with a conversation between William Cason and Christopher Healy. As a former river guide, the same role Hunter once held, William felt an obligation to do something meaningful in his honor.

"He was just a kid. He had his whole life ahead of him. We had to do something—anything—to make sure he isn’t forgotten," William said.

But there was one problem: he had no money, just an idea.

That’s when William mentioned to Christopher that he had known for years about a 1,200-pound marble stone resting at the bottom of the river. It had been there for as long as he could remember, but moving it seemed impossible. That is—until now.

"I always knew that marble was there. I just never had the motivation or the will-power to move it. But this? This was the moment," William said.

Moving the 1,200-Pound Marble Stone

"If anyone could figure out how to pull a massive stone from the river and move it six miles down the Hudson without machinery, it was Christopher Healy".

"Christopher is my go-to when I need something done," William admitted.

Christopher quickly developed a plan to transport the marble on a floating dock, navigating it downriver to Lake Luzerne, right near Buttermilk, the location of Hunter's tragic accident. But the real challenge wasn’t just moving the stone—it was getting it up a 100-foot embankment to its final resting place.

The three men requested permission from a private landowner to place the stone at the site, ensuring that Hunter’s memory would be honored in a place that would stand the test of time.

"Getting it up that embankment? That was hell," William recalled. "It wasn’t easy, and honestly, I don’t know how we did it. But when something needs to get done in Hadley-Luzerne, it gets done."

When asked about their roles in the operation, William humbly credited Christopher and Kevin.

"Christopher was the brains of the operation. Kevin and I? We did most of the dangerous swimming and heavy lifting. But Chris made it possible with the plan," he said.

An Unbelievable Twist of Fate

After WNYT NewsChannel 13 reported that the men had placed the stone but lacked funds to engrave it, something remarkable happened.

Kim Cleary, a local resident, commented on the news station’s Facebook post:

"My husband can do it. He's a stone sculptor. We were on the bus with Hunter. Who do I contact?"

Within days, Mr. Cleary visited the location and agreed to sculpt Hunter’s name into the stone.

When asked about this unbelievable turn of events, Christopher Healy simply said:

"Sometimes, when something is meant to happen, it just does."

A Community That Never Forgets

Through sheer determination, grit, and heart, three men who never met Hunter Scofield made sure his name will never be forgotten. And through an incredible twist of fate, the perfect sculptor—who had been on the bus with Hunter that day—emerged to complete the memorial.

“William was the driving force behind all of this, and he doesn’t get enough credit” Christopher added.

This story is more than just about moving a 1,200-pound stone. It’s about community, resilience, and the unbreakable bond of Hadley-Luzerne.

Hunter Scofield may no longer be with us, but thanks to William Cason, Kevin Swinton, Christopher Healy, and the Cleary family, his memory will forever be etched in stone.

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