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8 hurt and one death in 2 avalanches…
The news report said in two separate avalanches, one in the mountains at Snoqualmie pass and another on Interstate 90 north of Hyak, injured eight people and killed one person on Friday.
King County sheriff’s Sgt. Tom Tearheart said a group of eight outdoor recreationists called 911 after six of them got stuck in the snow and were injured following an avalanche at about 11:30 a.m.
The group was about 300 feet below the Snoqualmie Pass summit, near Snoqualmie Mountain. Tearheart said a search-and-rescue crew was on its way to help the six people out of the snow Friday afternoon. He said there were broken bones and lacerations but no life-threatening injuries.
Later, at about 3:10 p.m., a westbound vehicle carrying one adult was buried in a shower of snow on Interstate 90 about three miles east of the Snoqualmie Pass summit.
Washington State Patrol spokesman Sean Stewart said the vehicle was buried in 13 to 16 feet of snow and the individual was transported to Kittitas Valley Community Hospital in Ellensburg after sustaining major, life-threatening injuries. Then later helo-vac’d to Harbor View Trauma Center in Seattle where the patient was pronounced DOA before being further stabilized.
Both directions of I-90 closed at times for avalanche control work Friday afternoon and night, but Snoqualmie Pass was open in both directions by 11:45 p.m.
What the report did not include was that there was a letter written on a brown paper bag clutched in Dave’s frozen hand when they dug him out of that 16 foot dark and lonely icy grave.
The letter read:
Hey, great! It works! (The pen I mean.) I’m sitting here in a blizzard thinking about you. The windows are fogged up, the condensation on the sun roof is giving me a shower, and the only stationary I can find is this paper bag I carried my lunch in.
Its 7:09 which, means I’ve been in this mess for 3.6 HRS.
I periodically turned the car off to conserve what little * fuel I have. It kind of scares me because the last time the car was on I had 74 miles *, now it says I have 157, so I really don’t know how much fuel I have. I hope it’s the 157.
If you’re wondering * what the little asterisks are within this text, they * represent * when the traffic allows me to crawl ahead another car length or two.
I don’t want you to ever be in an uncomfortable situation, but, sweetie, I wish we were together right now.
I’m going to turn the car off now.
Thank god for radios. It’s about the only thing that’s keeping me from blowing my stack. Except of course the thought of you.
I called Ken today and he basically said there were going to be no deliveries. I said I would still like to work, he said OK. But, I think you know I’m going to be with you as soon as I get home.
It’s still snowing pretty hard and I have not moved more than a block in the past 2 hours. Time to turn the car on. Getting a little cold in here.
Now it says I have 156 miles to go before I run into trouble, great!
Wow! The wind just picked up! Awesome deal, man!
The steering wheel is doubling as my desk right now and it works out pretty good. Now you’ll have something to write letters on while you’re in the car waiting for me outside a bar or strip joint!
Be back in a minute.
Going to take a smoke break. Of course you know I’ll be standing outside of the car while I smoke!?! Right?
(A picture of two cigarettes. One full, one burnt.)
I got to move up about 20 feet during my smoke. I have 154 miles left on the dash, but the system scanner tells me “low fuel”. Off goes the car. *!
This car handles quite well in the snow. Not a problem, a big problem anyway, yet.
I wrote this for two reasons. One, two help * pass the time and second, to talk and think about you when we’re apart. * *
I love you, baby and I always will.
I am lucky to have you in my life and I want everybody to know how special you * * are *. *
Hey I’m making some ground. * I’ll let you go now, baby. I hope you get to read this pretty soon. That means * I’m home with you.
Love
Dave *
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