Letter to the Editor 8/15

Published 5:00 pm Wednesday, August 14, 2002

Good job!

At about 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 18 Wallowa County had a tragedy on its hands. we were told that the cook at the dining hall at the Boy Scout camp at the south end of Wallowa Lake hollered at 30 scouts and parents, “run for your lives!” They all ran down across the swinging bridge to safety as about a million yards of water, mud, rocks and trees came rushing down B.C. Creek and completely wiped out the dining hall. It also moved the Wallowa River from the west side to the east side of two cabins about 150 yards below the camp.

I was in one of those cabins taking a shower with the fan on and water running. I did not hear the cook or the sound of the land slide. I did notice muddy water soon after, and the growing flow of water on the east side of our cabin.

Thank God no lives were lost and there were no injuries in this catastrophe.

About an hour later I was air lifted off the island I was on by Trees, Inc., and we were evacuated into Joseph. I was air lifted back to our cabin on Friday by Kelly from Pacific Power.

My wife Annette and I are writing the people of Wallowa County to express our gratitude for the assistance we received. The people who helped us our include the Joseph Fire Department, Trees, Inc., Pacific Power, Matt Marmor, Kate Wheeler and Judy Wandschneider of the American Red Cross, members of the United Methodist Church, and Bob and Linda Sisk, who opened their home to us for six days until we could get back into our cabin.

Without the help of these people we probably now would be in a depressed situation. We thank god they were there.

Gerald & Annette Nelson

Bend, Ore.