Here is a story about one man's encounter with Mt. St. Helens (the closest active volcano to our location). Read it and tell me what you think of Harry for staying. Why do you think he did not leave? What do you think about the speed of the eruption? Did you think that a volcanic blast could happen so quickly? What would you do?
Mount St. Helens came to life in March 1980, Harry Truman owned and operated a resort on Spirit Lake beside the mountain. Harry held fast to his home and refused to evacuate when the nearby volcano began to come alive.
When the mountain started acting up, Truman seemed to come alive as well -- especially when reporters started coming in on the helicopters that would land near his lodge.
"When they began coming around, he got another shot in life," Barker said. "He enjoyed the attention."
Rosen says Truman's unwillingness to leave the mountain had more to do with protecting his property than making a statement. Others say the headlines contributed to his refusal to come off the mountain -- he felt obliged to live up to his press.
"I think he kind of got himself talked into a Catch-22 situation to stay," Barker said. "He wanted to come down. He was very much afraid of earthquakes.
"He felt, like everyone else, that he would be able to see lava start to ooze down and a news helicopter would come in and scoop him up at the last minute."
Nature had other ideas. The searing blast came at 300 mph.
"One scientist told us Truman probably had time to maybe turn his head," Rosen said.
Moments later, Spirit Lake was buried by landslides and mudflows.
"We figure he's 150 feet under the (present) lake," Rosen said. "His pink Cadillac, 16 cats, everything is buried with him -- along with probably a lot of loot" from the lodge safe.
