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Show feet of snow down into the valley. D. H., who was standing outside his tunnel when the slide hit, was carried forty feet from the portal and buried under twelve feet of snow. As soon as the snow settled, L. K. dug himself out of the other tunnel, checked the situation at Tunnel Three, and went immediately for help. He notified the men in the other tunnels who ran over the Tunnel Three, where they were soon joined by the off- shift crew and a D- 8 tractor. The quarry superintendent notified other company officials who ordered three more tractor operators to report to the area. Two D- 8 tractors and shovel crews continued search operations until 5: 40 a. m. when one of the tractor operators uncovered a sleeve of the victim's raincoat. Tractor operations were halted and the rest of the snow was removed by hand. No pulse was found and D. H. was assumed dead at the site. COMMENTS Terrain and snow conditions generated an obvious hazard at this tunnel site. Reports on this accident are brief; they do not mention whether the construction crew was ignorant of the danger or chose to ignore it in order to meet a tight schedule. No. 65- 6 MT. BALDY. CALIFORNIA 4 April 1965 WEATHER AND OTHER FACTORS Located about 50 air miles east of Los Angeles, the Mount Baldy Winter Sports Area is listed as one of the four major avalanche hazard areas in California. Winter weekends bring swarms of winter sports enthusiasts from the coastal metropolitan areas. Often these people are unfamiliar with avalanche and snow- covered terrain dangers. When this factor is combined with the area's existing avalanche hazards, it presents a formidable problem of snow safety. Compounding the problem is the fact that snowfall on Mt. Baldy is sporadic. Consequently, the actual avalanche hazard also varies widely from year to year. Because of the gravity of the situation, Forest Service personnel have prepared a detailed snow safety plan. To the extent that the plan is carried out by trained personnel, it is successful, but efforts to secure public cooperation and to warn them about potentially dangerous areas are continually thwarted. Slopes posted as dangerous frequently get as much traffic as unposted ones. Signs warning of avalanche hazards are carted away for souvenirs almost as rapidly as they are posted. Adequate enforcement of closure requires the assistance of armed deputies. 124 |