3 Die After Falling Into Volcanic Fissure

[whatelseisnew]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,,-5740063,00.html

MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. (AP) - Three members of a ski patrol were killed when two plunged into a volcanic fissure at the Mammoth Mountain resort and the third fell trying to rescue them, a resort official said.

Four other would-be rescuers were hospitalized for exposure to carbon dioxide and were doing well late Thursday, said Rusty Gregory, chief executive officer of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area.

The Mono County coroner has not determined whether the ski patrol members died from the 21-foot fall or from inhaling toxic fumes.

The victims were part of a four-man team inspecting the mountain after heavy snowstorms and fencing off the rock's gap, Gregory said. The snow collapsed under two patrollers and they fell into the fissure on the 11,053-foot peak in the Eastern Sierra.

[rodeodance]

1. how terrible.

[boobooday]

2. That is horrifying

Ski patrol? :-(

Sympathy to their families. That's very sad.

[NMDemDist2]

3. a volcanic fissure? on Mammoth Mtn???

:wtf:

[Sequoia]

5. Earthquake coming is my guess.

That place has been rumbling for years, maybe the mountain will pop.

[KurtNYC]

6. I used to work at Mammoth

the whole area is full of hot springs and fissures. It is usually a problem for cross country skiers bc the fissure can run for long stretchs and any fencing or markings can get buried.

Part of my job was to video tape the scenes of ski accidents (to protect the Mountain in case of lawsuit). About 6 people die every season but this year has been unusually bad.

I'm a little scared to look at the names of those patrollers.

[wtmusic]

4. Exposure to carbon dioxide?

:silly: