Workers announced they’ve closed down a major route to Big Bear on Friday after motorists reported mudslides trapped about a dozen vehicles overnight.
A driver named Jo Steel said he and his partner, Kael Steel, left Big Bear on Thursday in what he described as “hardly a drizzle” when, around 2:40 p.m., they were caught between two “massive” mudslides on State Route 38.
Jo posted to alert others in a Big Bear Facebook group, saying he and about 11 other vehicles were trapped. “Just a head’s up… don’t drive right now,” Jo said.
That was around 3 p.m. on Thursday. The Steels said they didn’t make it home until 4 a.m. Friday.
Caltrans District 8 confirmed vehicles were stranded between debris flow and a slip out on SR 38 through a 7:10 p.m. Facebook post. “Crews immediately jumped into action, freeing some of the trapped motorists that were stuck in an almost literal case of ‘between a rock and a hard place,’” Caltrans said.
However, for other motorists like the Steels, the night was nowhere close to over.
“We’re still trapped with 11 other vehicles at mile marker 23 on the 38. There is a Cal Trans worker stuck with us,” Jo said in a 9 p.m. update. “There are around 20 or so people here with us.”
While the hours ticked on and the cold, hunger and darkness began to take form, however, Jo and Kael made some new friends to ride out the storm with. “We talked amongst ourselves, played card games and tried to remain calm,” said Jo.
Viewers began responding to Caltrans’ Facebook post, saying they’ve heard of motorists still trapped on SR 38. A representative replied at 11:37 p.m. with the following message:
“Yes, that is true. There are multiple slide locations and it takes time to clear. The route is narrow and tightly quartered. Crews also have to remove debris carefully to ensure there is not another slip out location. We have made a lot of progress in the last few hours and are getting to people best we can. We are actually almost to the largest group of stuck motorists. These operations do take time, but we also never said we got everyone out, this video was just the first of many people we helped today.”
Jo confirmed to KTLA that they were still stranded at midnight. In the hours that followed, he continued posting Facebook posts and comments expressing his frustration with rescue communication and information, and, specifically, Caltrans’s Facebook post.
“Their post was in bad taste, in my opinion. It led many to believe that nobody was still trapped,” Jo wrote in a comment. “We called multiple agencies (911, non emergency line, CHP, Cal Trans, etc), and were told so many different things… It took hours to get any sort of clarity. And mind you, we were trapped with a Cal Trans worker who also struggled to receive information.”
Despite the communication struggles, however, Jo still noted his appreciation for the rescue crews and their efforts.
“At the end of the day, we at least tried to keep spirits high,” said Jo. “As the hours drew by, it was more challenging, but we did persist and took initiative when we felt it was necessary.”
The City of Big Bear sent out a commuter alert on Friday morning, saying State Route 38 was closed to all traffic from Valley of the Falls Drive to Lakewood Road due to mudslides.
For up-to-date road closures and working road conditions, click here to view the Caltrans interactive map.
Alexis Lewis contributed to this report.
The post 13-hour journey: Mudslides trap motorists overnight on major Big Bear route appeared first on KTLA.
