Toddler dies in wash: Girl swept away while her family is rescued

Los Angeles Daily News ^ | January 10, 2005 | Charles F. Bostwick

[Fruitbat]

Well, OK then. With news all around you of flooding, and knowing full well the ramifications of it, and no doubt, unless she's been isolated for 20 years, having heard of exactly such circumstances, and while NOT being stuck on a median or any place where "options were limited", again, my point stands.

VERY poor decision. Alone, or with adults, I could fully understand it. But not with an infant/early toddler and a 10-year old. Hell, in fact with a truck full of a bunch of college kids I can easily see it happen. But not here!

[Delbert]

She will live the rest of her life with this. That's punishment enough.<+--I could nor or would not want to live with that burden. damn.

[CindyDawg]

That's the way I see it. She doesn't need me beating up on her. So very sad. Many did the same and made it across or were rescued. She didn't. We get a lot of standing still water around here after a flood. No barricades but you watch to see what size cars getting thru. Maybe that is what was going on. Who knows? One of the scariest things that ever happened was a few years ago. My husband and I were driving at night to San Antonio. We saw lights flashing on the other side of the road but thought someone just got pulled over. We saw the water probably 4-5 car lenghts before we got to it. Our speed reduced but we hit water and slid all over the highway before we got out of it. It wasn't a skid either. The water was pushing us towards an overfilled creek. My husband would get it back to the left and we would get pushed over again. We were so blessed to be in a high car that didn't stall. There were no barricades or warnings. Th e lights on the other side did slow us down though .

[lainie]

California's Antelope Valley is a flat desert, probably 20 by 40 miles across. Mudslides are not the problem here. The water, flowing across the roadway, appeared to be one depth. The road apparently had a small bit washed out, as the dip was much deeper than it looked. There have been roads washed out all over this valley. This happened on Sunday. The roads have become much worse since then.

[Fruitbat]

You have to read the history. I was waxing general, very general. Regardless, out where it's flat as you say, I know, I've lived there, EVERYONE knows that when it rains "all bets are off!" Or they should. The least bit of a river can get violent in seconds. My biggest thing is that with an infant in the car, she 'assumed' that there was nothing deeper when no one can tell that. Given what anyone that's lived in those areas for more than a few months knows, you just don't take risks like that. It's the first thing that people tell you when it rains and they know you're new out there! It IS that simple.

[lainie]

Well, I've been here for nearly nine years and this is the first time I've seen the washes get like this (and I've never before seen this kind of widespread sustained damage..) example. Given it was before the major destruction, and dark at the time, and I have the benefit of hindsight from my living room, I'll give her more slack. I don't absolve her of all responsibility, but, I at least refuse to call her names. So we just disagree about this.

[Fruitbat]

And during that nine years how many times has it rained that much? According to what I'm reading, it never has! I know there've been warnings of flooding too.

Whatever, it's not a big deal. This entire conversation has been taken way out of context and original intent.

[lainie]

Yes, I was pointing out that these conditions are new for all of us.

[lainie]

More blame-the-mother comments from firefighters, regarding the swiftwater rescue in San Dimas:

Mother Blamed for Capsizing

At least the captain at the bottom has the sense to say "he shouldn't have said that."