I apologize in advance if this comes across a bit "preachy"...
Five years ago this past Saturday, Gwen Saltis, who was just 26 years old, died while leading a crew working on fire rehab after the McNally Fire in
the Golden Trout Wilderness. Those who knew Gwen won't forget this day --
or what an amazing and talented person she was. In honor of Gwen and her
family, I wanted to keep Gwen present for all of us who do the sometimes
dangerous work of "caring for the land and serving people".
There are many hazards we all must be aware of -- most are not obvious or
truly predictible. Gwen was killed by a tree as she slept -- an unburned
tree with a rotten root structure over one hundred feet away from her tent.
She and her crew had keyed in on the dangerous situation with burned trees,
and had carefully and intentionally chosen this as a safe spot away from
those trees. While it had been windy the evening before, the weather was
calm the morning of her death. It's impossible to know how predictible was
the hazard that killed Gwen. What IS predictible is the feeling of
devastation for the families -- parents, siblings or surviving children --
friends, and fellow employees, when someone they care for is suddenly torn
from their lives.
Gwen's mother, Carol, who of course still grieves, once told me this:
While Gwen's death is hard to accept, if her loss is used as a reminder to
others, so that if even one other family doesn't have to experience such a
devastating loss, she would feel that Gwen's life (and early death) was not
in vain. This was part of the reason that Region Five developed the Hazard
Tree Awareness presentation, dedicated to Gwen's memory, which you have
(hopefully) seen if you work in forested areas. Carol's request is why I
share Gwen's reminder with you now. Many others have died in our chosen
lines of work -- before and since Gwen. We should keep these in mind as
well.
We've all heard it before... Look up; look around. Know what's out there,
and try to plan for the unpredictible. Remember that situations that seem
safe can have hidden hazards. Truly safe conditions can change
unexpectedly. Stay aware, and share your awareness with those around you.
Do it for your family. Do it for yourself. Do it for Gwen... and her mom.
> Thanks! marty
>
> Marty Hornick
> Trail Program Coordinator
> Travel Management Project Co-Leader
> Inyo National Forest
> mhornick@fs.fed.us
> 760-873-2461 (Office)
> 760-937-3008 (Cell)
