Greater than a dozen folks have died in San Bernardino County’s mountain communities within the wake of back-to-back snowstorms that dumped historic quantities of snow — greater than 100 inches in locations — stranding many of their houses for 2 weeks, county officers mentioned.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Division mentioned Thursday it has responded to 13 deaths since Feb. 23, although investigators have decided that just one had a “direct correlation to the climate,” in keeping with a information launch. That particular person died at a hospital after a automobile crash throughout the storm.
4 had been individuals who both died at a hospital or had been in hospice, officers mentioned, and due to this fact is not going to be investigated. The remainder are beneath investigation by the coroner’s division of the Sheriff’s Division.
“The preliminary data now we have right now is the circumstances noticed on the scenes didn’t current as weather-related,” in keeping with a press release from the company. “Lots of the deceased had vital medical histories or power circumstances.”
Sheriff’s officers launched restricted data for the 9 deaths not linked to hospitals or hospice care and reiterated that investigators don’t consider the climate or a scarcity of meals or sources contributed to any, calling them “pure.” Nonetheless, no reason behind loss of life has been decided in any of them.
However residents in mountain communities who spoke with The Instances pushed again on that notion, saying many had been stranded with out meals, electrical energy, warmth and medicines for days, if not weeks — extraordinarily anxious circumstances they consider contributed to, if not induced, the casualties.
Crestline resident Liberty Guerrero mentioned she is aware of three folks — all of them aged — who died within the final week. She mentioned the close by Cedarpines Park group “is an enormous aged group. They dwell within the boonies, and no one’s gone there but.”
“They’re going to search out extra [dead],” Guerrero mentioned.
The primary loss of life — the one sheriff’s officers mentioned had a “direct correlation to the climate” — was a 39-year-old girl killed Feb. 26 after being struck by a car in Fawnskin, officers mentioned. That incident matches the story of Barbie Hughes, whose household mentioned she was killed whereas making an attempt to assist somebody caught within the snow.
Two days later — because the second of two brutal snowstorms started to wane — a 65-year-old girl residing on Irene Road in Wrightwood was discovered lifeless by a neighbor, in keeping with the Sheriff’s Division. Whereas she had no identified medical points, sheriff’s officers mentioned she had complained of “flu-like signs.” She was final identified to be alive the day gone by.
On March 2, a 77-year-old girl was discovered lifeless by her landlord on Zell Courtroom in Crestline. She was final seen by her landlord the week earlier than, deputies mentioned. The girl had a “documented medical historical past,” although particulars weren’t supplied.
On March 3 — a few week after the snowstorms started — deputies discovered two males lifeless throughout separate welfare checks.
Deputies went to look in on a 77-year-old on Sycamore Lane in Crestline’s Valley of Enchantment neighborhood after household had been unable to achieve him. Once they arrived, they “couldn’t attain the residence,” and a neighbor pressured their method in and located the person lifeless, authorities mentioned.
It was solely with “superior gear” that deputies had been capable of take away the person’s physique. Whereas officers acknowledged that climate contributed to the problem of reaching the residence, they didn’t point out the circumstances led to the person’s loss of life.
The opposite man was present in Huge Bear Lake on Barker Boulevard, and whereas his medical historical past was unknown, officers mentioned the 62-year-old had lately made “complaints of feeling sick and taking over-the-counter medicine.”
That very same day, household discovered a a 33-year-old relative lifeless in his bed room in Arrowbear. He had been alive the evening earlier than, they mentioned, and had solely “restricted medical circumstances,” which weren’t specified.
On Monday, Michelle Hake’s sister was discovered lifeless in Huge Bear after her household referred to as for a welfare test when her sister wasn’t responding. She mentioned her sister, 46, wanted medical care throughout the storms, however her household didn’t notice how pressing it had turn out to be. Hake mentioned she’s satisfied that if entry had not been restricted due to the storms, her sister wouldn’t have died.
That very same day, a 93-year-old recognized by neighbors and household as Elinor “Dolly” Avenatti was discovered lifeless in her residence on Inspiration Street in Crestline by a neighbor. Those that knew her mentioned she was a fixture in the neighborhood and nonetheless very lively, however officers mentioned she had a “identified medical historical past,” though particulars weren’t shared with The Instances.
Rhea-Frances Tetley, who lived throughout from Avenatti, mentioned their road was with out energy for six days, throughout which Avenatti hadn’t been capable of depart her home due to the snow. Though neighbors delivered meals and checked in on her, Tetley worries the acute circumstances took a toll on the in any other case energetic girl.
On Wednesday, a 68-year-old man who neighbors mentioned had been sick for some time was discovered lifeless in his residence on Crest Forest Drive in Crestline. Neighbors mentioned firefighters needed to dig out snow for a minimum of half-hour to entry his residence.
And residents concern there will probably be extra our bodies discovered.
Crestline resident Megan Vasquez mentioned that though the area has a variety of aged residents and folks with medical circumstances, she doesn’t suppose all of them died from pure causes.
“It’d’ve been an individual with main diabetes whose blood sugar acquired uncontrolled. Is {that a} pure loss of life or was that contributed to by the storms?” she requested.
Vasquez went door to door Thursday on the lookout for homes with no footprints or with vehicles buried beneath the snow. She discovered a 90-year-old girl with no meals in her home who had lately undergone hip surgical procedure.
“She was lined in bruises, with eyes as huge as saucer plates,” Vasquez mentioned. “What would’ve occurred to her if I hadn’t gotten there?
“There’s gonna be much more than 13 as a result of we haven’t dug everybody out but,” she mentioned.
