Moral of story: Stay very far away from a very active volcano.

Moral of the story: Don't count on anyone to save your ass.

It's typical - "You have no right to tell me where I can go and what I can do! It's unconstitutional" Then when those choices go bad "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you protect me from my stupidity?"

A) it was, and still is impossible to predict with any certainty the way a volcano will explode. B) clearly part of the zoning process took into account the the logging business. C) I don't believe anyone had much appreciation for the explosive type of eruption that was coming, or even knew what a lahar was C) camping anywhere near an active volcano, one that was all over the news for weeks with eruption near certain, was dumb

The reason that the red zone was so narrow on the northwest side is that land was owned by Weyerhaeuser which did not want any restrictions on its normal timber harvesting activity. As for the bulge, when several hundred acres of rock and soil are being lifting 5 feet per day, one need not be an engineering student (which I was) to know that can only be caused by a tremendous amount of force. Watching the TV news reports and reading the Seattle Times and PI (which never published a MAP of the red and blue zones before the eruption) I deduced that we had a possible Crater Lake explosion in the making. Of course the blast wave is going in the direction of least resistance. Mt. St. Helens was a giant claymore mine. You see a bulge that big in the side of a volcanic mountain, get away!

" Three frightened loggers walked off the job"... See, common sense people! I hope they got better jobs/were rehired because they obviously were smart!

Didn't some who were evacuated demanded to go back to their property? Claiming they pay taxes? Human beings always point the blame and don't want to take any responsibilities for themselves...

I am sorry that people died, but they were there for one reason and that was the thrill of maybe seeing an eruption up closed and living on what might be the 'edge'. Many. many other people did not die, because they flat out just stayed away from what was a danger. Mr Killian claiming that his son was 'lured' in by the boundaries set up is ridiculous, he was lured in by his own need to do something risky. If hi son was old enough to be married he was old enough to know the risk he was taking when he took it. I am tired of it being the states job to baby sit people and 'keep them safe'. I understand the scientists felt like they had to be there - their job to collect data and the loggers doing their job, but the campers and tourists and hikers - they were there under their own free will and no one forced them up that mountain. I suspect the reason they have not found a thing that belong to their son is that he was not where they think he was, that he walked around barriers and wanted a 'closer look' and got himself in a place where there will be nothing to find. "Educated, responsible" people do go around signs saying 'closed, stay out. no admission' every day of the week. There was only one reason to be on that mountain in that area at that time and that was because you though there was a chance you would see a volcano erupt. The fact that you might die doing so may have been something they did not consider but that is not the fault of the State of Washington.

The guy blaming dixie Lee ray for the death of his loved ones is ridiculous. It was impossible to predict how large the red zone should be. As for the blue zone, blue didn't mean "safe" it just meant if you were a logger and had to feed your family. Had the red zone been bigger residents and loggers would've raised he'll about losing work or their homes. I was 10 and watched the news everyday with fascination, we ALL knew that mountain was going to explode. Lol the idea of camping that close to the mountain after watching the news everyday is insane. I lived about an hour from the Mt and we were afraid like 50 miles away. And we did have a lot of damage, flooded rivers and 4 inches of ash. How quickly people forget what was happening in the months leading up to may 18th

It's sad to see the grief of the parents, but I think they were misguided in their grief by getting angry at the government.

Um, they built houses near a "dormant" volcano that last erupted less than 100 years ago. The people simply didn't believe it would erupt again. Then when word came that she was going to erupt, people RUSHED to the mountain. Smart.

I was a senior in high school when mt st Helens blew. There was so much on the news prior to the huge eruption warning people over and over. The blame is in them selves. Why would you want to go camping or hiking fishing? Knowing the mt was going to blow. They'd was several earthquakes prior as well. Common sense will tell you to stay away. People were yelling at law enforcement because they wanted to go check on their property. Its heart breaking lives were lost yes but was there plenty of warnings? Absolutely!!!!!!!

So, you're son and daughter in law, despite being warned about an impending eruption, went camping and were killed. And it's the governments fault?

KNOWING that there is a possibility of an eruption, anybody with half a brain, would get in their car and GET THE HELL out of the area, just as far as I could get.

Apart from the responsibilities of the State, what about the personal responsibility of each citizen? Didn't the people who went camping know that this was a volcano ready to erupt? Sure they did...they just chose to ignore that. Why blame the State for your own lack of critical thought? I only feel sympathy towards the scientists and the loggers who were on the mountain because they had to be there- they had jobs to do, they weren't on a bloody camping trip.

just stay away from the area. period.

you left out the news footage of homeowners who complained not being allowed to return home before the eruption.

People were mad because the state closed the areas they did. People were on the roads protesting and were driving around the road blocks. People need to take responsibility for their own actions its not up to the state to protect you.

I lived in Vancouver Washington at that time with my parents. I was a preteen in 1980. I hadn't heard about any possible eruption. It was early on a Sunday morning. Harry Trueman should have left voluntarily. He resisted. He didn't want to leave his home, & his late wife & daughter. He was in denial. He didn't want to believe it was going to erupt. The eruption destroyed Spirit Lake & The Toutle River. I have seen the wild life start to grow back. It's incredible how much devastation that it caused. The trees, wildlife, & the people who died. It was so awful. I saw the movie with Art Carney as Harry Trueman. I would love to get the movie. It's completely accurate. I believe Harry was fishing at the lake, & his dog was with him. I wish he had left. He made the choice sadly. R.I.P to the victims, animals & the timber that was ruined. It was a horrible day in our generation.

People were killed by ash and hot pyroclastic flows as far as 15 miles from the mountain, an incredible distance - drive 15 miles from your house. There was no clear precedent for this, particularly in North America.

My Brother was editor for this Film and the team and producers faced a lot of flack for exposing the facts , this was played just a couple of times on PBS before they took it off air. Mark Amos Nealey , Editor and my brother .

I feel bad that they lost their lives, with that being said if it were me and they were predicting an eruption I woyld not hace gone camping anywhere near there

I think one thing people should keep in mind is that no one was expecting the lateral blast. In hind sight people look at that bulge and say, "they should have known." But I do not believe that David Johnston, who was a very educated man and died in the eruption, would have been at Coldwater II which was approximately 5 miles to the north of the mountain, had he thought the blast would be lateral like it was. They set that area up for observation because they felt it was a safe distance from the mountain. Rest In Peace David Johnston.

These people chose to be in the area of Mount St. Helens. I think it’s very pathetic of the people in these videos to hold the government to blame, especially a governor who put out many many warnings about the dangers of the volcano. “My relatives went to a super dangerous area and because the red zone wasn’t 1.5 miles bigger it’s the government’s fault they are dead!!”

Don’t stay around volcanos. That’s basic human intelligence. I don’t stand in the path of a tornado.

This event, the film footage is something that most human beings will never see in a 1000 lifetimes.

Gee? Maybe we can ask those who traveled to mt. St. Helens that day why they did it. Oh wait. We can't. So stop making assumptions. It t is not the government to blame.

Keep in mind, the majority of the victims were found MILES outside the danger zone. In most cases, they couldn't even see the mountain. *Only four of the victims were known to be inside the restricted areas set up by federal and local governments. David Johnston was on duty for the USGS stationed at Coldwater II only 5 miles from the summit. There was the stubborn Harry Truman who refused to leave his lodge at Spirit Lake and was eventually given special permission to stay. And amateur vulcanologists Bob Kaseweter and Beverly Wetherald who had permission to take readings near Spirit Lake at their own risk. The other victims, some as far as 13 miles from the mountain, were in areas considered safe. The thick clouds of ash and raging mudflows caught many people off guard.* Hindsight is 20/20 and it is clear now that much of the established red and blue zones were driven by business concerns, not public safety. The logging companies would have fought larger zones out of concern for a loss of income. Governor Dixie Ray was pushed by Weyerhaeuser to permit logging in areas much closer to Mt. St. Helens as an example. And of course Mother Nature has never been known to respect boundaries or zones. She'll go wherever she chooses. Thus the majority of the victims were overwhelmed in spite of their trust in business and government assurances. This episode is a cautionary tale of finger-pointing with the easiest targets being the victims. They can't speak out and defend themselves and the various business and government authorities took advantage of it.

Why they died. D O H! :/ That mountain didn't erupt, IT EXPLODED!

Volcano shaped like triangle. Bulge growing at 5 feet/day on north side of triangle. I’m not a geologist and I understand it’s like trying to predict an earthquake. But if there’s one place I’m not going to be, it’s on the north side of the volcano 🌋 ... or am I missing something.

What has happened to society? Every one has to have someone else to blame! Its called " personal responsibility" ! Those people were there of their own accord and responsibility. You do not have to be a geologist or vulcanologist to know that being anywhere near a volcano that is about to erupt is dangerous and potentially fatal. Do not blame the government for your loved ones stupidity and irresponsibility! People like that really piss me off!

Here are some unfortunate facts...at the time of the eruption, volcanology was extremely new. We, the human race, had very little knowledge of volcanos. When the USGS realized that the chance of an eruption was extremely high, the governor did place an evacuation order. Many people refused to leave, indicating they did not believe the mountain was going to erupt. Also, the USGS had no real idea about the blast radius, and just how far out it would reach. The USGS had a scientist on a overlook observation spot, that was about 5 miles from the mountain...and he died with in a minute or so of the start of the eruption. There were campers in the area that had left...they too also did not understand the threat, like most people. Then, hundreds of people, if not thousands starting to show up to watch the explosion, like a tourist attraction. Logging companies also did not want to leave, since it meant lost of production in logging...ie loss of $$$$. There simply was not enough knowledge about volcanos for people to grasp the concept of the level of danger. Since then, unfortunately too many people once again do not understand the level of danger we all live in, here in the Pacific North West....If Mount Rainer blows it's top (actually when), it will do more damage and more lives will be lost, since it is located closer to major cites...Tacoma, Seattle, and Olympia, and all the smaller towns that surround those cities...many are in danger from the flooding...

The blame culture in America (and sadly entering UK life now more and more) is a sad state of affairs. Those folk chose to go camping on an active volcano which does not play to the rules of 'red and blue zones.' To try and blame another human being for their deaths is ridiculous, in England we have a case where a family are trying to sue a local council because six adults died whilst swimming off a beach that had no lifeguards. These people knew there where no guards before they entered the water so how can the council be held responsible?

5:52, what "EDUCATED" person would go camping on an ACTIVE VOLCANO?!?!

I think, of you live, camp, or anything else near an unpredictable site. You take your own unpredictable ass into your own hands, NOT some HUMAN or humans, that has NO idea or can predict, what what could happen.

The VOLCANO was responsible and the people who did not use their own intelligence to get the hell out were responsible! I would not have gone anywhere near the dang thing!

The thing that gets me about this is that the volcano didn't explode in how they expected it to. Nobody could have predicted that the mountain would lose the whole side out of it. I understand the anger but it's a natural disaster. The anger is misplaced.

I visited in 2019, absolutely stunning! I would go back in a heartbeat. If my recollection is accurate, they were not expecting a lateral eruption. If it had blown upwards, the damage and loss of life would have been much smaller. However, the lateral eruption caused a much larger debris slide.

According to National Geographic the barrier issue was partially because of logging interests who owned most of the land?

Mrs killians own son warned her not to go into the area. perhaps he should have followed his own instinct. sorry for your loss. bitterness is compared to drinking poison and hoping your enemy dies.

Here’s to you Harry Truman

When I was growing up in the 1960s, it was generally understood that a person had the free choice to take a risk, but that risk was their own responsibility, nobody else. Responsibility for personal actions has been weakening since the seventies.

There were people who disregarded all warnings of danger that were in place, and went up there anyway. I saw one couple go in there to the danger zones to camp with their two tiny children, in spite of all warnings; they barely survived. There was one group of guys who thought it would be "fun" to defy all warnings, and sneaked up there too. By some miracle they survived. And then there were those who had their cabins in there and demanded their "rights as taxpayers and property owners" to go into those danger zones. Human arrogance and stupidity have no limits! I never could stand that governor. But no matter what she or law enforcement or anyone else did, they wanted their own way, and got it. And a lot of them died for it. I have no pity for them.

It is too easy to blame someone for an unpredictable force of nature. It is easy and it is ignorant. Any so-called "safe zones" can never be more than a guess at best.

Talk about a hit piece. I really do feel for these families but like it has been said multiple times in these comments they choose to go there. How many of these people are the same people that complained that they closed certain areas before the eruption? Crazy this reflects the exact same blame culture that is rampant today.

Spoiler Alert: they died when a volcano erupted. I was 10. Living in Yakima, Washington. I remember it like it was yesterday.

To think that all the governor had to do to save more lives was redraw a map is ludicrous. Decisions come with consequences. I would never go near a volcano, a tornado, a bison or a bear, etc. If I did and lost my life as a result, no one in my family would blame the government.

Blaming the governor because your adult son died in an eruption is wild. For sure don’t go near an active volcano. Sign or no sign.

Hey I got an idea let's go camping right next to a volcano that is threatening to erupt any moment now near a bulge that keeps growing 5ft a day. Are there no other mountains in that area? You had to go to that area? If I would have known that that mountain was going to blow I would be 50 miles away from it no matter what I don't care if they establish a red zone or a Blue Zone all establish a Tom Zone and that is 50 miles away or less Tom will not be there. Even if 50 miles you're in danger

Grief causes people to seek answers. You have to understand that this happened nearly forty years ago, back then there was no Internet, you relied on expert opinion for your information. I was 9 years old when the eruption happened and in Scotland it changed the educational curriculum to include volcanology and plate tectonics to 12 year olds. Prior to this, there were some famous eruptions that were common knowledge : Krakatoa, Vesuvius, Etna etc. But people were ignorant about what can happen during an eruption. How many people understood that the pyroclastic flow travels at 80mph? That the blast was equivalent to several nuclear bombs? That earthquakes would happen? If you read Pliny's account of the destruction of Pompeii, which is what many non scientists used as their literal reference of an eruption, you can understand why even educated non scientists, had little comprehension about what could happen. Krakatoa was a much more equivalent type of event, catastrophic explosion vs the steady eruption of Vesuvius. These days, after St Helens and other eruptions, with the universal media and Internet, we know you'd be mad to be within ten miles of a volcano of this size and should probably be three times further away. You need to put yourself in their shoes.

People, especially at that time, people in the US, didn't accept to be told what to do because they all thought they "knew better" than the specialists and lack the discipline to just do what they are told. It's ok to ask questions and demands answers, but when your life or the life of your loved one is in eminent danger, it's better to listen and ask questions later. The cemetery is full of people who "knew better" than the professional.

look they probably thought it would just spew lava not go off like the A bomb

Blue zone red zone the volcano was VERY active and unpredictable, so just leave get away or face the reality.

stop looking for a scapegoat! what a crock

I don't think I would be anywhere near a volcano which about to erupt. On the other hand, if you have no knowledge of volcanos, you have no idea how far the ash can travel. This is proof that scientists don't always know everything.

Grade A hogwash...with all due respect to the ones that died, of course. Arm chair play calling at it's worse...

The fact is you cannot predict what the earth is going to do. No matter whether it's atmospheric or earth bound, no amount of technology could accurately predict which way the volcano would release it's pressure. There are no grounds for finger pointing.

Only 3 people were in the red zone: 2 had permission and Harry Truman (Johnston was on the edge of the zone). And Harry received a letter from Dixy commending him for staying: "You stuck with what you knew and what common experience and sense told you. We could use a lot more of that thinking , particularly in politics." No one else 'sneaked' into a place they shouldn't have been. When you go to the places where people died like Green River or Hoffstadt Creek, you're 20+ miles away and can't even see the mountain. If the Sheriff's zone maps had been adopted, there would've been 8 fatalities instead of 57: the three near spirit lake, the miners near Meta Lake, and the Scymanky logging party.

A sad thing for the parents, but their feelings are not logical, rational or based upon fact. They’re feelings.

Governor Dixie Ray did as good with that terrible situation that anyone could have .

At the end of the day, everybody knew that there was a chance the mountain could blow at any time, nobody could ever foresee how the mountain would explode, each person that died there made the choice to take the risk! May they all rest in peace!

Any idiot that got within 50 miles of that sucker was gambling with thier lives. Mother nature erupts with plenty of warning and victims and families go after the government. People can be pretty stubborn and get what they are looking for. They should have gotten out when they were told.

Many of the scientists themselves died. Also it is on video people protesting that they pay their taxes and want to be let back onto their property. So they had to sign a waiver saying they were doing so at their own risk. A lot of this is just slander or anger spoken out of pain.

I lived just 60 miles from St. Helen's in 1980. When the mountain blew up we were all shocked. From the time that the activity began there wasn't much info coming out to the people who were most in danger. I remember my mother calling me from NV a week before the eruption asking if we were prepared for the volcano's imminent eruption but I didn't know what she was saying. We were prepared for disasters by having food storage, water & wood for our stove as a general rule but no one had said that we should be expecting a volcanic disaster. Nothing on radio or tv, nothing from the state or Feds. However, my parents were being told on their news that the north face was bulging 6 feet a day & that it was going to blow at any moment. After the disaster it was clear that no one in our area ever heard a thing about it. The massive ash cloud hit our town about an hour & a half after the first eruption & most people were taken by surprise. I'm still outraged that vital information was withheld by Dixie Ray & the USGS. Had they put out the proper warnings & appropriate info no one would have died. Those people who lost their lives thought they were in "safe" zones but they were deceived by government. I've never trusted the government or the media since that day in 1980. They just lie about everything & don't care if innocent people die because of it.

My dearest beloved people when an evacuation is required please heed the voice of higher authorities to please evacuate nothing is more important then your beautiful lifes. I am pretty sure people were warned danger zone or no danger the adults are not children. Still please leave.

Well they should have not been up there camping right they told them it was bad

shoulda listened 2 david johnson

rip all the victims that died in the mt. saint helens eruption

Hello! I would like to get in touch with Historical Cassettes

Hind sight is 20/20, you can not predict how a mountain will erupt even if you see the same thing again it may not produce the same result. Volcano's are unpredictable and always will be!

Blame doesn't bring anyone back.

Show me one time where a prominent government official actually paid for their actions.

Oh.. I guess Mt St Hellen's was the only land in the great state of Washington one could go camping? IE..The only choice was play around an active, posturing volcano or no play? If you ever wondered what a frivolous lawsuit argument looks like.. I present exhibit A. .. The real crime was that Werehaeuser did not log the blown down timber

Ive seen interviews with that Robert Rogers how snuck on the mountain...seems a real asshat. He just is tickled pink with his experience....delighted...never mind all those who died or left disfigured...as long as he had fun...

That volcano was giving plenty of warning. People chose to go into those areas. They are responsible for themselves

If I ignored Gov. warnings which was aired on T.V. and got injured from volcano. I would think...'Why did I not listen? Look what I did, I should of listened.' Then, I would love the people who warned me.😔

Why would they go camping and fishing that close to a dangerous area? There were earthquakes for a month before. The zones were uneven but common sense says stay away!

Because she said she pays Taxes and wants to use here land!! So lady what you going to do with it now????

I lived close by and the decision made by Dixie was all about money flowing as simply Weyerhaeuser could have moved out till things where calm .Many friends went there with a false sense of security . The natural beauty of that area was impressive and a 30 minute drive you had a vacation .I never heard of sheriff taking a person in for crossing a zone but they complained it was to close

I remember going to school hearing that we Canadians might get some of the ashes flown from the states we all were so sad when it happened ...

It seems to be common sense that ANYWHERE near the volcano is TOO CLOSE. People should have a sense that anywhere near a volcano is dangerous. Very sad that anyone died.

People are responsible for for their own lives. If a bulge was growing, screw it! I would leave.

They say at the beginning that 60 people died but all other sources I've heard say there were only 57 deaths. Did they "round off" to 60. They were being specific in that quote: "26 of the 60 people who died have never been found."

People , individuals are ultimately responsible for their own well-being. Not governors ,police chiefs ,or doctors.

That’s some BS, they warned everyone and they did what they wanted to anyway, the Governor has zero culpability, u all own ur own deaths

Why was Governor Ray responsible for this? It wasn’t her fault. There were probably numerous warning signs around the zones. If people choose not to read them and proceed closer to the volcano, that’s their fault. I believe in free will.

That hazard analysis map looks like a great technical drawing of an over easy fried egg.

Nothing has changed since 1980. Profit has a priority over people. Supposed experts and politicians are far more concerned with their image than people's lives. That mayor seems oddly happy when when saying it's the victims own fault for being in an area not closed to the public.

You can't blame people .this would killed anyone or anything in its way zones or no zones .they should used there own minds see it was bloody bad

Unfortunately (meant ironically) there isnt really anyone to blame. Volcanos are almost impossible to predict still today, and people made their own decisions. It is not on authorities to block off people from their homes. It's down to folks to do what they need to, if it costs their lives then it's on them.

If you know a mountain is about to possibly blow, and your hanging out within 15 miles of it. It’s your own damn fault

the loss of life was so tragic but the bottom line is even with the data that they had at the time they just did not foresee the magnitude of the blast nor the reality of the lateral blast being so devastating- even though they had clues about it they hadn't had experience with a lateral blast so it was outside of their Paradigm- really you can't blame other human beings for an act of nature or an act of God- no matter how painful the situation

My heart truly breaks for the loss of life that day of Sunday May th 1980, and for the families. But when people are stubborn _ in not listening and they decided to get closer to the volcano, when they know the danger is near. Then that is on them. Don't blame others for your decisions.

If you had known of the mountain was active and the possibly of erupting, common sense says stay far away. No one would have died

I was 15 and 10 mo on May 18th 1980 8:32am I had 57 days left to get my driver's license! 😁🚙 And then, 57 people died in the lateral blast! 😲 OMG! 😳

the victims are responsible for their own deaths. the warnings were out but certain people wouldn't listen. blaming the govt is stupid lol...plain ol self common sense would of saved those people

I go to the beach and the lifeguards tell me there's a shark swimming around. I am going to listen and stay out of the water.

I feel bad for the people that lost loved ones, but I do not agree with them. How big a volcano eruption will be cannot be predicted. Still when the red zone was placed, people went in there illegally. So be angry all you want, but their deaths are on them. I would NEVER go near a volcano which is actively erupting. About the Governor expressing herself, maybe she chose the wrong words and maybe too harshly. She is correct.

I lived in the Portland / Vancouver area for 15-years and I know that the forests, lakes and rivers around Mt. St. Helens are (were) the only forests, lakes and rivers in the entire Pacific Northwest and in the Portland metro area, so, what were these independent citizens expected to do? If you wanted to do nature in 1980 Washington, Mt. St. Helens was your only option. Naturally, their only option was to go to the perimeter around an active volcano with an impending eruption forcasted. Come on people... it's not their fault. If you wanted to go hiking, fishing and camping in 1980 Washington State, Mt. St. Helens was the only ecosystem in the entire Washington / Oregon area which provided this option. Nowhere else in the Washington / Oregon area had forests, lakes and hiking trails. It's elementary... Mt. St. Helens was the only option in 1980 to do these activities... they had no choice but to be in the perimeter of an impending eruption.

Don't blame her. From March 20th until the day of the eruption, it had intense coverage from the media. Those people who died, God rest their souls, chose to stay. No one put a gun to their head and said they had to stay. The USGS and the National Guard tried their best to keep people away. Anyplace u live has its own geological hazards. Whether it's this, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, heatwave, tsunami's. Educate yourselves and try and have a contingency plan. Knowledge is power!