LYNNWOOD — Three months after his sister was killed in a collapse at the Big Four Ice Caves, a Lynnwood man also has died from his injuries.
David Santana, 25, died Friday. His wife, Skye Marie Santana, posted word on social media Sunday afternoon. The couple had three children, including a son who was born after the July 6 collapse.
“Your wings were ready but our hearts were not,” the post said. “We miss you so much David Santana.”
The sun-weakened ice toppled on David Santana and five others while they were exploring inside the ice caves. He was taken by helicopter to a Seattle hospital but did not recover from his injuries.
His sister, Anna Santana, 34, died that day from blunt force injuries. She was buried deep inside the cave. It took crews days to reach her. Her boyfriend was among those who survived. The couple was visiting from California.
The caves are a popular hiking destination, about 12 miles east of Granite Falls in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. They are formed in avalanche debris that is compressed then melts after falling down the north face of Big Four Mountain during the winter and early spring.
The caves are always dangerous, but this year’s limited snowpack and hot, dry weather ramped up worries. The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office was warning people away almost as soon as the trail was open again to hikers. The day before the fatal collapse, ice broke off the lip and several people narrowly escaped. The incident was caught on video that was posted to YouTube.
Anna and David Santana were the third and fourth deaths at the ice caves since 1998. Catherine Shields, 27, of Bothell, was killed by collapsing snow in August 1998. Grace Tam, 11, of Marysville, died five years ago. She never went inside. Instead, she was standing on a rock about 20 feet away from the front of the cave, waiting for a photograph, when ice broke free from the cave and struck her.
The girl’s family brought a wrongful death case, hoping to force the U.S. Forest Service into taking steps to increase safety at the caves. The lawsuit was dismissed.
Since the July collapse, the Forest Service has closed access to the trail and is mulling its options. Extra patrols have been added to keep people out.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
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