LLU Dentistry - Dentalgram, June 2000

The incident at Carrizo Gorge

by Roger Plata, SD'74, professor of restorative dentistry

Grace Yong, James Dawson, Lan Nguyen and Nathan Carlson walk across Goat Canyon Trestle.

Six LLU School of Dentistry students and I went to Carrizo Gorge, in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, to see the Goat Canyon Trestle and a 2600 foot-long tunnel. We arrived late one evening and set up camp two miles west of Dos Cabezas Mine. The six students were Chris Ehrbright, SD'01, Nathan Carlson, SD'02, Grace Yong, SD'01, Eric Park, SD'01, Lan Nguyen, SD'01 and James Dawson, SD'01.

The next morning, Chris and Eric left at 6:30 a.m. because they wanted to see the trestle, but needed to be back in Loma Linda by 3:00 p.m. When we arrived at the first large trestle about three miles in, we saw the other two hikers at the fourth bridge. Eric saw us and came running back to tell us that two men were down in the canyon calling for help.

I talked to the men, both in English and Spanish, but the only information I could get was that they had been down in the canyon since the day before. They had gone down to get water and one had broken a leg. They would not say which leg or where the break was. Three students started down the steep canyon wall, but we stopped them and called them back. We did not like the answers we were getting from the men. We told them we would send two of our group to get help. Chris and Grace went back to the camp and got into Chris' Jeep and drove toward Ocotillo before 911 could be reached. They were directed to the gas station in Ocotillo and after a couple of hours, two Border Patrol officers, a county sherriff, paramedics, and a fire engine made the trip back to the entrance of the gorge, led by Chris and Grace. That must have been a sight to behold.

Meanwhile, the five of us told the men that help was on its way, said goodbye, and went to the Goat Canyon Trestle. After viewing this wooden, curved, 600 foot by 200 foot trestle, Eric and Nathan went back to see how Chris and Grace were doing. On the way back they saw that the two men had made it to the top and were under the trestle. They said they were okay. Eric and Nathan continued toward the entrance of the canyon and met Chris and Grace and the rest of the large group of rescue personnel.

The entrance to one of the several tunnels dwarfs James, Lan, Grace, and Nathan.

Lan, James and I continued to the 2600 foot-long tunnel, and then returned to the trestle where we had seen the couple that needed help. We called, but could not get an answer. As we were approaching another tunnel, we saw a spotter plan flying up and down the canyon. Then a helicopter came and was also doing a search for the couple. As we entered the tunnel, we met the couple. There was no broken leg, just a lost shoe!

We left without delay. Once we came out of the tunnel, I signaled to the helicopter where the couple was. The helicopter landed on top of a ridge over the tunnel and one of the officers came down to the tunnel. We were later told they could not get the couple up to the helicopter and so waited for the land group to come.

We continued to the entrance where our camp was and met the large rescue group. We told them our side of the story. The Border Patrol officer told us that we were lucky that we had not been attacked by the illegal aliens who use this canyon to enter the United States. There have been incidences where tourists have been robbed or injured for something as simple as a pair of shoes.

A tourist train arrived and the rescue group got on and proceeded to ride to the tunnel to pick up the aliens. This small train, more like a car that the railroad uses to transport their workers, starts at Ocotillo and transports tourists to the Goat Canyon Trestle. That is the way to travel, and it is safer.

For more information on the Goat Canyon Trestle, visit http://www.llu.edu/llu/dentistry/dentalgram/feb00/6goatcyntrestle.htm.