Ruth Lake CCC Truck Hit by Tree Fatality 1987

Eighteen-year-old California Conservation Corps crewmember Sir Isaac "Ike" Lindsay was riding in a CCC crew carrier in the Ruth Lake area, returning to fire camp, when a 32" diameter, 100-foot tall green Douglas-fir tree fell from the roadside and struck the vehicle where he was sitting. Despite rescue efforts, he could not be extricated before he succumbed. The CCC crew had been engaged in firefighting efforts on the Six Rivers National Forest. Nine others int he truck were injured in the tree strike. It was believed the tree's roots had been compromised by fire, as the tree did not appear to have any obvious defects which was cause it to fall.