Ice-caves victim was California mom; boyfriend hospitalized

Published 5:28 pm Thursday, July 9, 2015

VERLOT — Anna Santana and Dustin Wilson were together Monday when the Big Four Ice Caves collapsed.

The California couple were visiting her relatives in Snohomish County when they ventured to the popular hiking destination in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, about 12 miles east of here.

Santana, 34, died from blunt-force injuries to her head and body, the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office reported Thursday. Her death was ruled an accident. She is from Moreno Valley, near San Bernardino, and also goes by Annalisa.

The families of the survivors are asking for prayers on social media. A friend is organizing a fundraiser for Santana’s family at a taco restaurant in Colton, California, in San Bernardino County.

One person wrote on Facebook to her: “You were truly loved and will be missed by many.”

Santana was about 50 yards into a fast-melting cave, and survivors said she appeared unconscious after the collapse. It took search-and-rescue crews nearly a day to retrieve her body because of fears the cave could give way above them.

Friends of Santana and her co-workers at an oral surgery office on Thursday declined interviews, citing family wishes, according to the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

Wilson, 35, was listed Thursday in satisfactory condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Wilson cared deeply for Santana and her children, friends said.

“They were very close,” said Frank Manqueros, owner of American Solar, the company where Wilson had worked for about three months. “The kids loved him. He’s just a good person, a guy everybody wants to be around.”

Wilson is an installer for the company and was described as a reliable, hard worker. Manqueros spoke by phone with Wilson earlier this week. Wilson is recovering from leg injuries.

“It is going to be a while to get back on his feet,” Manqueros said. “He is going to have a lot of emotion to work through.”

Manqueros said Wilson recently gave his life to God and “was very, very happy with where his life was and all the chances he has been given.”

The solar power company’s nine employees are close, Manqueros said.

“Our hearts and sympathy go out to Dustin,” Manqueros said. “He’s a good kid. It’s such a tragedy.”

Wilson was among the five survivors rushed to hospitals after the ice cave collapsed around 5 p.m. Monday. David Santana, 25, was listed in critical condition in intensive care Thursday. A hospital official said neither family was available for interviews. Two girls also were treated and released from Providence Regional Medical Center Everett in the hours after the collapse.

The ice caves have claimed at least three lives since the 1990s. After Monday’s collapse, some hikers in the area rushed to provide aid to the injured, including one man with a first-aid kit, while others ran down the trail to get to the nearest pay phone.

The Mountain Loop Highway has been opened, but the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office says no one should go near the ice caves until further notice.

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.