Regarding The Herald’s front-page story, “Death was expected,” about the July 6 collapse of part of the ice cave causing several injuries and a death was a tragic occurrence: What makes this so unlike any other tragic event reported daily in the news? There are news reports about tragic injuries and loss of life by people going forth with their daily lives and electing to do various activities that interests them without closures after deaths.
Throughout the years, the “Death was expected” headline could include travel on local roads and highways, swimming in local rivers and lakes, parachuting, flying privately or by commercial flights; a high school football player who dies while playing football and was reported the same day as this story, and many other activities that have ended in serious injury or death.
The idea of closing down the popular easy access trail to the ice cave and taking down the bridge to it is preposterous because it is not consistent on what society does when people die doing their chosen activities albeit driving, boating, swimming, parachuting, and playing football, etc., and, of course, hiking should be no different.
The odds of death on this hike are minimal and would be nonexistent if hikers would obey the signage.
It is about time to open up the popular trail and destination of the Big Four ice caves again because there is a minimal chance of death on this hike no different from other activities in life.
Lewis Boyd
Everett
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