23 September 2014

Joshua Tree mudslide, California – a very lucky escape for a baby

Posted by Dave Petley

Joshua Tree mudslide

Last week a mudslide, triggered by heavy rainfall, swept through Joshua Tree in California.    This video shows an event on the same day at Joshua Tree, though I’m not sure if it is the same event:

The mudslide swept through the small town, and killed one person who, according to the reports, attempted to drive across the channel before becoming stuck.  The mudslide struck his car, killing him.  In the town, the mudslide struck the house of the Scarcy family, sweeping through the building.  Breitbart has an image of the aftermath, showing how the mudslide demolished the rear wall of the building:

Joshua Tree

Breitbart: http://www.z1077fm.com/storms-cause-a-fatality-in-joshua-tree-mud-and-flooding/

In the bedroom at the back of the house, one year old Tristan Scarcy was asleep when the mudslide struck the house.  By the time his parents were able to get into the room he had been washed away.  The likelihood of anyone, let alone an infant, surviving being caught up in a mudslide is very low, Tristan was found alive about 60 m downstream of the house.  He had some cuts and bruises, and some debris in his lungs, but he’ll make a full recovery.