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Show The last days of March, 1965, brought an unusually heavy spring snow s t o r rn to the Mt. Baldy area which lasted through 3 A p r i l . By Saturday the 3rd, new snow depths ranged from over t h i r t y - i n c h e s at the Mt. Baldy Notch to twelve to f i f t e e n inches in the Movie Slope region. Investigations by Snow Ranger D. R. indicated a p o t e n t i a l l y dangerous avalanche hazard existed throughout the area. This was confirmed when members of the National Ski Patrol skied a l l major avalanche areas. They reported the fracture lines and s e t t l i n g which t y p i c a l l y indicates a slab avalanche hazard. Early Saturday evening the lower slopes were posted with the standard " Avalanche Danger" signs. In a d d i t i o n , Deputy Sheriffs and Ski Patrol personnel were scheduled on duty to warn people about p a r t i c u l a r l y dangerous regions. By Sunday, the weather began c l e a r i n g ; the rain in the valley and the snow in the mountains both stopped. Because of the clearing conditions, and the fact that local press, radio and T. V. had given extensive coverage to the unusually late storm, large numbers of people invaded Mt. Baldy's slopes. ACCIDENT SUMMARY At 12: 15 p. m. Sunday a wet, soft slab avalanche released on a steep slope northeast of the Movie Slope Ski Area. Snow rangers, aware that a hazard existed on t h i s slope, had posted signs the previous day warning " Danger Avalanche - Keep Out." In s p i t e of t h i s , there were approximately one hundred people w i t h i n the immediate area when the s l i d e occurred. According to observers, seven to twelve people were actually caught in the f i f t y - yard- wide avalanche as i t tumbled nearly three- hundred yards down the mountain. Those not completely covered by the snow were immediately rescued from the debris by parents and other bystanders. One of these rescuers, a private in the Marine Corps, managed to run clear of the s l i d e . After the snow stopped, he helped pull out a man who was completely covered, except for his head. He and the man he rescued dug out another boy who was covered except for his f o o t . Witnesses quickly reported the accident to the ski patrolman on duty at Movie Slope " Hogan." He immediately left for the scene to organize rescue operations. The Patrolman assisted bystanders in removing some of the people trapped in the s l i d e and then dispatched messengers to request additional help from the Forest Service and Mt. Baldy Ski L i f t. RESCUE At 1: 30 Snow Ranger D. R. arrived with ten Ski Patrolmen and rescue equipment from the avalanche cache at Baldy Notch. On questioning witnesses, they learned that one, and possibly two, victims remained trapped in the slide. Two probe lines were formed, one beginning at the lower end of the deposition area, and the other s t a r t i n g in the center of the s l i d e . D. R. organized shovel crews from among bystanders and put them under the direction of the Ski P a t r o l . They were directed to dig trenches to ground level at two foot i n t e r v a l s , beginning at the deepest part of the terminus and following behind the probe l i n e. 125 |