Rockslide Kills 1, Injures 7 At Yosemite National Park More Slides, Clouds Of Dust Hamper Search, Rescue Efforts

An avalanche pushing a gale force wind roared down from Glacier Point Wednesday night, killing at least one tourist and injuring seven others.

Two major new slides just before dawn Thursday and a series of smaller slides during the night hampered a search for other possible victims that resumed at dawn.

Search attempts during the night were called off at midnight because, according to park spokesman Rick Smith, “It was too dangerous and too dark.”

The initial half-mile-wide rock slide at about 7 p.m. toppled trees and destroyed a concession stand in the Happy Isles area of Yosemite Valley and sent a dust cloud spiraling into the air almost as high as the surrounding mountains.

The new slides sent up new spumes of dust and debris, complicating further search and rescue efforts.

One of the victims remained in critical condition in a Modesto, Calif. hospital Thursday morning; another was listed in serious condition. Others were treated for minor injuries at the Yosemite infirmary.

“It felt like an earthquake and sounded like cannon fire,” said tourist Bill Leavengood of St. Petersburg, Fla. “There were two big booms, then the cloud started forming. It was as tall as the mountains within a minute.”

The slide occurred about an hour before sunset. Although park emergency systems were mobilized immediately, the dust cloud prevented an immediate search, then darkness made it impossible.

The death and most of the injuries were believed to have been caused by trees felled by the blast of air that was pushed downslope by the slide.

“It was like a thunderstorm,” said Brian Campbell, who was camping with his wife, Barbara, at nearby Upper Pine Campground. “There were boulders the size of houses coming off there (Glacier Point).”

“We’re from Oklahoma and we’re used to tornadoes,” Barbara Campbell added, “but this was one of the scariest things I’ve ever heard.”

The National Park Service said that in a naturally occurring process called exfoliation, a 200-foot arch of extruded granite at the southeast edge of Glacier Point gave way.

“It literally exploded,” said Assistant Chief Ranger Don Coelho. “The dust cloud was so big that it was like driving through the worst fog you could imagine, but the dust cloud was made of granite.”