Jim Scymanky Survives

CASTLE ROCK, WASHINGTON — The blast came without warning, snapping trees and engulfing Jim Scymanky and three other loggers in a suffocating wave of hot, black ash from Mt. St. Helens.

Suffering from severe burns over 46 percent of his body and struggling to breathe, Scymanky gave up hope of being rescued and instead wondered how long it would take to die.

"I can't see. I can't breathe. I feel like I'm being buried. The pain is just unbearable," he said Sunday of the day 20 years ago when the mountain erupted. Hours later, two National Guard helicopters swooped through the murky ash and rescued him. His three co-workers perished.

On Sunday, Scymanky was among about a dozen survivors who gathered as part of an ongoing observance of the 20th anniversary of the May 18, 1980, eruption that killed 57 people and stunned scientists with its ferocity. The event was held at the Silver Lake Visitor Center, about 45 miles west of the mountain.

"Today, I still can't believe I made it out of there," he said.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2000-05-15/news/0005150114_1_st-helens-eruption-ash