Arizona fatality of rouxkhound/prospecter

[GarretDiggingAz]

My condolences to this guys wife and friends. I hope nobody here knew this fellow hobbiest. It just shows us all that we must be careful about the earths material. That next rock you're moving could be that keystone.

We just had our first hobbiest fatality yesterday 10/9/13. Apparently they were hunting a hillside for gold near Benson AZ. When the hill gave way and buried him under 3' of stone and dirt. I believe he was 72.
My wife tells me this after I just got back today from my digging spot. I don't make tunnels in our dirt. Another spot east of me in same area, a guy was digging in the wash a tunnel that looked like it went about 6-8' deep. I said to myself, that it's very unstable earth (sand, gravel,clay, and big river rock) and that I'd never risk that. It was there for about 5-6 months. It collapsed within this last month.
So people coming here to dig in the hillsides, please use common sense and study the material before digging and moving material.

 

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[A_Sly1_U]

I have a lot of work experience in trenching and excavation from working construction and pipelines. I see so many people who don't respect what a small amount of dirt on top of you can do. Simply being covered to the waist or chest is very often fatal. This accident is a tragedy and my thoughts go out to his family. The rest of should take heed of this accident to remember to always take a look at our safety before starting to work. No gold is worth risking your life.

 

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[socalal99]

I have a lot of work experience in trenching and excavation from working construction and pipelines. I see so many people who don't respect what a small amount of dirt on top of you can do. Simply being covered to the waist or chest is very often fatal. This accident is a tragedy and my thoughts go out to his family. The rest of should take heed of this accident to remember to always take a look at our safety before starting to work. No gold is worth risking your life.

Well said Sly, no amount of gold ( in particular, the small amounts we hobby folks typically find), is worth your life. This type of accident is more common than most of us may think. There was a similar fatality in the Randsburg, CA area last year. Just this year, one of our club members was digging into a bank on the San Gabriel River and dropped a rock the size of a refrigerator, on his leg. He was lucky to escape with a severe gash and amazingly, no broken bones.

I have also been guilty of digging a short tunnel along bedrock to reach the best material, and being too lazy to move yards of overburden. I will be smarter.

Al

 

[jog]

Well said Sly, no amount of gold ( in particular, the small amounts we hobby folks typically find), is worth your life. This type of accident is more common than most of us may think. There was a similar fatality in the Randsburg, CA area last year. Just this year, one of our club members was digging into a bank on the San Gabriel River and dropped a rock the size of a refrigerator, on his leg. He was lucky to escape with a severe gash and amazingly, no broken bones.

I have also been guilty of digging a short tunnel along bedrock to reach the best material, and being too lazy to move yards of overburden. I will be smarter.

Al

This is probably not the proper thread to make my point but if your going to insist on it "Quote" (we hobby folks typically find). Let me ask you a question, do you throw your gold back after finding it or do you keep it?

 

[MadMarshall]

Early This October a family of 5 was killed by a landslide while hiking... And I know allot of us are scrambling up and down broken shelf rocks and looking hundreds of feet up to see big boulder just waiting to fall down the mountain.. Even if you do everything right Nature will do what it wants. Dangers are everywhere.. I think more so for the weekend warriors. All one can do is his best to be safe and be aware of his surroundings. It not a matter if something will happen it is more of a matter when!!

 

[gold tramp]

It's not a h***y if your digging and retrieving gold. You are mining... As Jog said earlier stop referring to it as you did...

R.I.P fellow gold seeker..................

 

[A_Sly1_U]

The point they are trying to make about the word hobby is that if you use the word hobby your rights to use federal lands are not protected. In the current dredging case in California our appeal as miners was denied because the judge ruled that the majority of people effected only dredge as a hobby and therefore not protected under the mining law. So this seemingly innocent little word, even if it's accurate, is a word that all prospectors and miners should avoid. Rather than become upset with people for using the word we have a responsibility to explain why not. Perhaps a separate thread not about an unfortunate death should be started to help keep novice prospectors in the loop.

 

[gold tramp]

Keep calling as you do and your state will completely boot you out...[/QUO

Over the Divide................

 

[highdesertranger]

john might not be pc. but I took is post as good advice nothing more and nothing less. on another note please forget the terms, hobby and recreational or the only place you are gong to be able to prospect or mine are the pay to pan places, where the proper authorities can keep an eye on you. highdesertranger

 

[AzViper]

Out of respect to fallen William Lawrence and fellow Tucsonian lets keep this thread free of all other topics.

 

[mellowyellow]

Out of respect to fallen William Lawrence and fellow Tucsonian I have removed my last two post that are not related to the topic at hand as others should do.

Thank you. You guys should just start a new thread I u want to talk about other topics

 

[kazcoro]

Can't even imagine what that must have been like. For his poor soul, I hope it was quick. This makes me think of side hill holes I have seen. They always make me nervous.

 

[GarretDiggingAz]

Can't even imagine what that must have been like. For his poor soul, I hope it was quick. This makes me think of side hill holes I have seen. They always make me nervous.

You know, I never trust the dirt, rock, sand mix type of ground. It seems solid but just walking on the stuff it crumbles. Then you put your hand on a rock and it shifts. It just doesn't take much. Unless it's hard rock, I'm always knocking away potential threats.
I was digging into my hole and created a shelf that seemed sturdy. It was about 3' in depth and another 2' in height. I leaned against it and it collapsed into my leg. Which was bent inward towards the hole. Needless to say my leg was buried and was glad I wasn't reaching under it.
So now if there's any kind of overhang or potential for rock slide. I get rid of it. Even if that means I have to stop digging for a bit. The gold/gem/rock isn't worth my life. Safety first

 

[mrlindeman]

I send my prayers to those lost in this great hobby and for some lucky ones career. I have seen first hand a gentleman slip off bedrock and nearly drowned and know it only takes a split second for it all to go wrong. I have had many slips, trips and close calls that have fed me a big piece of humble pie for sure. Stay safe everyone.