Lawsuit dismissed after girl dies at Snohomish County ice caves
Oct 29, 2012, 8:24 PM | Updated: 8:35 pm
The ice caves are one of the most popular hiking attractions in Snohomish County. The trail leading to the caves is an easy hike for beginners because of its gentle slope. That does not convey the danger of the area which is in an unstable avalanche zone. The ice caves are constantly melting and shifting, especially in the summer months. (Photo by Anne Julson)
(Photo by Anne Julson)
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit over the death of an 11-year-old girl at a popular ice cave in Snohomish County.
Grace Tam was killed as she posed for a picture at the entrance to the Big Four Ice Caves in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in July 2010.
Earlier this year, I wrote about the little girl’s parents in the story, Half my soul is frozen.
Her parents, John Tam and Tamami Okauchi, sued the National Forest Service, saying it failed to adequately warn visitors about the danger of being near the ice caves. When Grace was killed she was standing outside the entrance to a main cave.
The caves are a popular attraction, and the Forest Service had posted signs at a trail kiosk warning visitors to stay away.
There are many paths to the caves and one sign on another trail was missing, according to the suit.
U.S. District Judge James Robart ruled that the Forest Service is “immune from lawsuit because its action involved a discretionary function that shouldn’t be second-guessed by the courts.”
By LINDA THOMAS, AP contributed to this report
