National Park After Dark - Catastrophe at Camp: Ouachita National Forest

Episode Date: May 20, 2024

On June 10th 2010 all was well at the Albert Pike Recreation Area campground. 24 hours later, 20 people were dead following one the deadliest natural disasters in the history of the Natural State. Today we cover the devastating story of the Albert Pike flash flood.For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodesFor the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials:Instagram: @‌nationalparkafterdarkTikTok: @‌nationalparkafterdarkSupport the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!Thank you to this week’s partners!Rocket Money: Use our link to get started saving.Vionic Shoes: Use code NPAD to get 15% off your order when you log into your account. BetterHelp: National Park After Dark is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off.Taylor Farm Hemp Co: The first 200 listeners to use code npad25 will receive 25% off site wide and free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Limitless. Now open your eyes. Go to Monday.com. Start for free and finally. Breathe. Girl, winter is so last season. And now spring's got you looking at pictures of tank tops with hungry eyes. Your algorithm is feeding you cutoffs. You're thirsty for the sun on your shoulders. That perfect hang on the patio sundress.

Those sandals you can wear all day and all night. And you've had enough of shopping from your couch. Done hoping it looks anything like the picture when you tear up on that envelope. It's time for a little in-person spring treat. It's time for a trip to Ross. Work your magic. Put away the books. We're out of school. The weather's warm, but we'll play it cool. We're on vacation, having lots of fun. V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N in the summer sun. You may or may not recognize the name Connie Francis, but I can almost guarantee you've heard that song, one of her biggest hits. Since the 1960s, it's been an anthem, getting millions of people excited for the summer. The season meant for getting away, carving out time to spend

with family and friends, and leaving the routines of normal day-to-day life behind. Summer vacations are different for everyone. Leisure time can be spent close to home or spent traveling. Some locations are visited only once, while others remain family favorites, as generation after generation returned to the same place to make memories over the years. Vacation, locations, and tragedy is a combination that is difficult for our minds to comprehend, yet anyone who has access to the news can tell you when sad things happen in happy places, everyone mourns. While some of these events can be pinned solely on human error and flaws,

Mother Nature has proven time and time again, nowhere is ever completely safe. Welcome to National Park After Dark. Something's about to go wrong on a summer vacation. You're right. That is absolutely right. Can I just say the saying the lines to the vacation song was really hard instead of like singing them? Like I had to practice. Yeah, I actually practiced.

I would have loved for you to break out in song in our intro personally. You're going to have to wait for another time because it's not today. Well, I'll be waiting for that day. Okay. Perfect. Well, do you have any like family vacation spots that you go to like year after year? like with your family? I wouldn't say year after a year.

We're going to the Cape this summer. And that's the second time we've done it as a family. And years ago, we used to do cruises every year for like. But not like to the same spot. No, we did go to the same spot like more than once. But it wasn't every year. Okay. Gotcha.

Do you have anywhere that you go every year? Well, of course, you know, as we've, gotten older and things. Like, we don't do vacations every year. But the two that come, well, not even two, I guess. The one that comes to mind the most is my family, like, really loves Goose Rock's Beach in Maine. And that's something that, like, my family, like my mom used to do with her family. And then, like, we've gone a couple times. But there's nothing like a location we go all the time every year. I mean, my mom and my stepdad now love Lake Winipasaki. And they make a... So good. Yeah, or like Lake Nubanuset. Like they have places that they like to go frequently,

but there isn't a place that as a whole that we've gone to time after time. But I just, I wanted to ask because this story today is centered on a campground where people have been visiting generation after generation. Of course, they have new visitors, but there's stories of several different families who have been here. Like their parents have come and their parents' parents have come. And it's just a really, like a favorite spot. That's really cool. It's just been passed down through generations.

Yeah. And this was, again, I need to start writing down the people to thank them for their recommendations. This was a recommendation that was on the list for many months. I just pulled it off from a question box of what do you want heard covered. I would have never come across this, I don't think, just because it's, It's in a national forest. It's a recreation area that's located within a national forest.

And it's also in Arkansas. And it's kind of just like a little obscure. I feel like I wouldn't have come across it. But I'm glad I did because it's a really touching story. And it's pretty intense and definitely worthy of a story. Intense isn't sad? Yes. Okay.

Good to know. Yeah. So it's going to get us all prepared before we dive into this. This is not going to be a lighthearted episode. And I did want to just shout out. of course every time that we do an episode, we write our resources, whether it be articles, documentaries, books, et cetera, within the episode descriptions. But there was a source in particular that was amazing for resource material that I relied heavily upon for a lot of this episode. So I wanted to

shout it out in particular. And it's titled Swept Away and it's actually a three-part series of articles that was written by Amy Upshaw and Kathy Fry. And it was published in the Argonstead Democrat Gazette back in 2010. But it was a really nicely done three-part series. So I just wanted to shout that out. A lot of information there. Yeah. Cool. Okay. So let's get to the story. Yeah. Take us to Arkansas. For many, including the Bassenger and Smith families, that precious time of year, the summer, was spent year after year at the Albert Pike Recreation Area tucked in the southern portion of the forests of the rugged Wachita Mountains and National Forest. This national forest is the oldest and largest in the southern United States, encompassing over 1.7 million acres

from western and central Arkansas into southeastern Oklahoma. Its name is the French way of spelling the sound of the native word Wachita, meaning good hunting ground. Indigenous history stretches back thousands of years here, primarily with the Cato and Choctaw peoples and their ancestors. European exploration of the area began in the 1540s, starting with the Spanish, and then followed by the French. The mid-to-late 1800s brought widespread depletion of the forest as westward expansion brought railroads and commercial logging to the area, so as a result, Theodore Roosevelt first

protected the area in 1907. The CCC, the Civilian Conservation Corps, began work in the forest in the 1930s, and by the 1960s, tourism entered the scene. The National Forest is beautiful, made up of rugged mountains and pine hickory forests. And as its good hunting ground name alludes to, it is home to numerous species of wildlife. Deer, Turkey, Black Bear, which were actually reintroduced into the state in the 1950s and 60s, which I thought was very interesting. That is interesting because you think of Black Bear says all over the whole East Coast, Eastern Seaboard. Yeah, there was a big state effort to reintroduce them, which I was unaware of.

of. Interesting. But obviously their population is doing very well now. Coyotes, Eagles, and more call this forest home. There's more than 700 miles of trails used for hiking, horseback riding and biking. There are sweeping vistas, designated wilderness areas, various historical sites, a national scenic byway, and a national recreation area, lakes and ponds for boating and fishing, and plenty of spots to pitch a tent within this national forest, giving every outdoor enthusiast, a playground. For the Smith and Bassenger families, their place of choice was along the Little Missouri River, or Little Mo, a 147-mile-long waterway that winds through the forest. Its clear waters, excellent fishing opportunities, and small, picturesque waterfalls draw people to its banks to swim, boat, and camp. Listed as a wild and scenic river by the U.S. Forest Service and a natural and scenic river by the state of Arkansas, along the shores of Little Moe seemed like the perfect place for a campground. And that's where the Albert Pike Recreation Area comes in. Located in the southern edge of the Washton Mountains, about an hour west of Hot Springs

National Park, the Albert Pike Recreation Area Campground is situated right on the shores of the river. The nearest district forest rangers office is about 26 miles away, so it's fairly remote, but extremely popular. You won't find Wi-Fi or cell service here, and that's part of its allure in its draw. People want to disconnect. Most of the campgrounds, 54 sites, divided into four different areas, are primitive. However, a handful offer electric and water hookups for like an RV type of situation. Along with the numerous campsites, it offers swimming and floating access, picnic sites, and easy to access trailheads for popular hiking trails in the area.

For those not wanting to spend time on the federal campgrounds within the recreation area, The area also provides a privately owned RV park and cabins called Lowrys, just south of the campground along both sides of the river. So it's about a mile away from the federal part. And now this is like another campground area that straddles both sides of the river and it's about a mile away. And people, both areas are really popular. Just depends on how you're trying to stay there. Right. Exactly.

And Lowry's is exactly where the Smith and Bassenger families were headed, as was their year. tradition on the afternoon of June 10th, 2010, until their plans changed at the last minute. The two families had been very close for years as the two women, Carrie and Candice, met at work while working at a dental office together nearly 10 years prior. Their friendship grew leaps and bounds, so much so that their significant others became really close as well. In fact, when Candice married her husband Anthony in 2003, Shane, who is Carrie's husband was part of their ceremony as well. It wasn't just like, oh, he's my husband and he knows my friends. It's like they're all very, very close. Anthony and Candace Smith lived on a large

cattle farm outside of Shreveport and Shane worked there part time. So even he's like working. Like the two families kind of have a working relationship too. The women had a really strong friendship, but Shane and Anthony forged their own bond even separately from their wives. They both had teenage sons from previous relationships. There was Kyler, Shane's son, who was 14, and Austin, who was Anthony's son, and he was 13. The two men loved the outdoors and spent much of their free time riding ATV trails and just recreating outside. When the Smith and Bessengers started expanding their families, their young children also became close with one another because they had children around the same time, so they grew up with one another. And their time spent together only grew

as weekend getaways and play dates started filling up their calendars. So to keep things straight, the families are as follows. There's Carrie and Shane Bassenger and their children are Kyler, so Shane's son from a previous marriage. And then they have two children together, Jaden at age eight and Kinsley, age six. And then there's Candace and Anthony Smith. Austin is age 13, and he is Anthony's son from a previous marriage. And then together they had Joey, age five, and Caitlin, age two.

So they have just young families. And one of them is from an outside marriage. Yep. Okay. And all of them were on this trip, along with Austin's 15-year-old friend Brady Pate. So it's like a everyone's coming. All of the families and friends, let's go. That's so fun.

And it was actually Kyler and Austin who requested to change things up at the last minute. Year after year, they would visit Lowry's, the R. RV park, the separate from the federal campground. And this time they suggested tent camping, even if it was just for a night, because they usually just brought their RV with so many kids and things like that. But they wanted to change it up and try tent camping. Sleeping outside. Yeah. So the rest of the group agreed and they turned the RV towards the Albert Pike Campground, located, like I said, about a mile away from Lowry's and stopped at the registration office. The office is usually staffed by volunteer hosts. And this time around, it was staffed by Rubin and Catherine Cleveland. Both of them

were in their 70s. And the couple were happy to register camp guests and keep their sites clean and well maintained in exchange for somewhere to park their 1985 Toyota Motor Home. So they've, it's like a volunteer position. It's like they're retired and they just love being there and love hanging out with people. Yep. And after the two families received their site assignment on Loop D of the campground, the day went off without a hitch. It's in the beginning of June at their favorite campground, and they're doing campground things. So they set up and unpacked and everyone headed out to the river for swimming, followed by a camp dinner and showers. While the older boys decided to tent camp, remember that's the whole point. They wanted to tent camp. The rest of the group gathered in their

Wildwood RV for movie night. Another young family, the Jens, were doing something similar. 23-year-old Leslie Jens, her husband Adam and their 3-year-old son, Caden, and then Leslie's mother, Sherry, were visiting from New Boston, Texas. Everyone was unaware that two hours and roughly 100 miles to the northeast in Little Rock, John Lewis, was preparing for his night shift at the National Weather Service office. He settled into his desk and set of computers as raindrops strummed against the office windows. He, along with several other coworkers, had spent the prior two days tracking a very large storm system as it moved over Texas.

Despite the evacuations and rescue efforts by emergency personnel, the storm dumped 10 inches of rain along the Guadalupe River, resulting in a death, and the storm was headed straight for Arkansas. This episode is brought to you by Prime. Obsession is in session. And this summer, Prime Originals have everything you want. Steamy romances, irresistible love stories, and the book-to-screen favorites you've already read twice.

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John even issued the warning again via a radio that connected to the statewide emergency radio to ensure that this warning was repeated and spread as far and wide as possible. Around 1 a.m., just downstream from the Bassenger and Smith families at the Lowry property, Sergeant Brady Gore and his wife were startled by the uptick in rain. The sound of it hitting their tin roof of his family's cabin actually woke him out of his sleep. So it was really downpouring. He had been visiting this cabin every summer since he was a child in the 1960s. He nor his family had ever seen a big rise in the river.

But because of how severe the rain was hitting the roof, he thought it was best to go out and just check on it. And he had the thought and then resolved to do it in a few hours when it was time to wake for his early morning. shift. Oh, so he didn't do it. He went back to sleep. I didn't, this is a flash flood episode, isn't it? Yeah, it is. As soon as you said that there was rain strumming on the weather, guy's window, I was like, fuck, this is a flash flood episode, isn't it? Yeah. And it's a bad one. Okay, continue. I'm ready. Okay. Another cabin owner, Bill Paxton, also had a similar thought about the river. When he awoke around 2 a.m., he braved the the rain to move some of his belongings, including his truck to higher ground, just in case the

river rose a little bit. He wanted to make sure everything was in the clear. Around the same time, so we're at about 2 a.m. in the morning, so technically now June 11th, John Lewis was pouring over maps of the area getting hit hardest by the storm. He noticed the terrain near Langley, about a 10-minute drive from the campground at Albert Pike was getting absolutely slammed by the weather. tracing the maps with his eyes and his fingers, he then took note of the creeks and streams that dumped into Little Moe just north of the recreation area. That coupled with the fact that the campground was also tucked into a valley where mountain runoff would also contribute to a potentially alarming problem. It raised significant concern. He was so stressed going over everything.

And he was like, this is going to be bad. The flood gauge located close to the campground, which is about eight miles down. River. It was just the closest one to the actual campground, marked the water level at 3.81 feet at 2 a.m. 15 minutes later, it had already risen a foot. That's so scary. Water is so scary. I know. This is like, it gets bad. So Bill Paxton, who had moved his truck to higher ground, stood on his balcony. And the cabin that he was in had a balcony and the whole cabin itself was on stilts, as are many buildings that are located. near water sources, and they were about eight feet high, but he was starting to wonder if they should have been built higher because he's like, this is alarming. Getting really close. Yeah. At the same time that Bill was out there, having these thoughts and wondering about his cabin,

Ruben and Catherine, who were the 70-year-old camp hosts, were startled awake by pounding on their motor home door. They opened the door to a frantic scene. First of all, it was downpouring, torrentially downpouring. Mm-hmm. There was a group of panicked campers surrounding their entire motor home and water was swirling around their calves. It was complete chaos. And the couple, despite their years of experience being camp hosts around the country, were very ill-prepared in this particular situation.

Upon their arrival to Albert Pike, they were given the standard orientation along with maps of the area, a list of phone numbers in case of emergencies, a basic first aid kit, and a landline telephone. because again, remember, self-service does not work here. All pretty standard stuff for any camp host, but there were some caveats. The couple were accustomed to working where park rangers and staff stuck close to the campground that they were at. And over here, the closest ranger office

was about 40 minutes away, and they closed nearly 10 hours prior to when everyone is panicking. And there was no rangers scheduled to patrol during the nighttime. In fact, a deputy from nearer by Montgomery County Sheriff Office was assigned to make rounds at this campground, but only on weekends. So no one was coming.

No one was here. No one was here. And lastly, Loop D of this campground sat amidst a floodplain. In fact, several flash floods had occurred in the area over the years. Most notably in the 1990s, there was a large group of Boy Scouts, over 40 of them, actually, between the scouts and their leaders. and they were trapped by high water in that location of what would later become loop-D of the campground. And thankfully, everyone was safely rescued and everything was okay. But the park employees assured their families and the troop leaders that a flash flood alarm system would be installed in the aftermath of that situation.

And guess what was never installed? A flash flood system. Yeah. As the Krispy Chicken Sandwich from 7-Eleven, people always call me loud. And I'm like, yeah, I know. I'm crispy. Did you expect me to whisper? If you want quiet, go eat some soup and reflect.

Like, I know I'm a handful. I'm bold, I'm juicy. Throw some pickles and barbecue sauce on me. And baby, I'm a whole meal. And with seven rewards, I'm just $4. Quiet. No. Krispy, saucy, and $4?

Very. Only at 711. Valley 3,62326, participating stores only while supplies last the app for full terms. As the time struck 2.45 a.m., Catherine reached for the landline and called 911. Get somebody out here in a hurry. She yelled into the receiver as the motorhome began to shift as the rising water picked it up off the ground.

We're all going to drown. What a horrifying phone call to have to make. Yeah. And everyone is just completely panicked. And there's nowhere to go. You're already in water. You're in a motorhome that's not stable. You know, like that thing's just going to float away.

It's dark. Mm-hmm. Not far away. and minutes later, 69-year-old Esther K. Roder, 51-year-old Bruce Roder, and his 52-year-old wife, Deborah Roder, and their 30-year-old daughter Tara, all at the campground, with nearly two dozen of their family members for a large family reunion, awoke to their RV rocking.

Noticing the water lapping at the camper door, it began to lift and float. They got out of the camper and tried to situate it and get it to not float away entirely. And while they're out there trying to straighten out their camper and get it secured, a vehicle slammed into the camper and the camper imploded. And it launched all of them into the very quickly rising and turbulent waters of the Little Mo River. So scary. Although emergency personnel were en route within minutes of the 911 call that was placed, the situation was getting bad and fast.

Bill, who was standing on his balcony, watching anxiously as the waters rose, started seeing vehicles floating by. Then, an RV slammed into a nearby tree and became wedged against his porch stairs. He saw streams of light and panicked voices coming from inside, and an elderly man managed to push the RV door open against the flow of water and shoved out his nine-year-old child, begging Bill to take his granddaughter. With the child safely transferred, the man and his wife managed to squeeze quickly through the door just as the RV shifted in the water and trapped the door shut permanently. It's such a horrific scene. So now they're all on the sky's porch. Well, that group of people.

Like, he was on the porch. The people in the car and their niece are all on his porch now. The granddaughter and the couple. Yes, everyone in that situation is now out. But it was with, it was seconds between getting. getting everyone out safely and literally being trapped and drowning inside your RV. Denver and Janice McRae, the owners of Lowry's campground, were unaware of the situation unfolding below as their land sat well above the river and was set back from the cluster of cabins that

were being affected. That is, until a frantic phone call from Bill woke them up and informed them of the chaos at the campground. The McRae's had experience here, and due to the remoteness of the area, had even cleared a portion of their own property. for a helicopter to use in case of an emergency if it ever warranted that because they're like, we've been here long enough to know that there's limited access to obviously cell phones and it takes time and even getting people out here can take a while because of the remoteness of the roads and things. So let's just clear out a helipad area just in case. It's very considerate, you know? I mean, they obviously own the campground and they've been there for years and they're obviously

very attached to it, but, and they want to make sure everyone they can do what they can. Yeah. Yeah. And this was the exact type of emergency that they had in mind when they did that. But despite her pleading to emergency dispatchers on a 911 call of her own, she was told

in an alarmingly calm tone that helicopters were unavailable until the following morning. But there was cause for alarm. Water was now lapping at the eaves of cabins. Cars were floating by, RVs, debris, everything was caught in the rising river. Homes were flooding and being torn off their foundations.

Electrical wire was being ripped from poles. The river gauge, which remember read 3.81 feet at 2 a.m. read 9.87 feet by 3 a.m. by 3.30. It was nearly 14 feet. Wow. The campground, especially Loop D of the campground that was on the floodplain, was completely flooded and in utter shambles. The Smith and Bassenger families had evacuated their RV, gathered the older boys from their tents that were out camping, not, you know, separately. And they made a run for their vehicle, but the water flooded the interior of the truck. They moved into the bed of the truck just as the water started to lift the vehicle and pinned it between a pair of trees. Moments later, an RV smashed into their truck, and the sounds of screaming could be heard from inside the RV. over the rushing of water. Shane launched himself onto the roof of the RV trying everything that he could

to help the people trapped inside, but it was no use. Carrie placed her children, Jaden and Kinsley, on top of the truck's toolbox, and wrapped them in their blankets. Sobbing, but trying to stay strong for her girls, she looked them in the eyes and said, something really bad is going to happen and I am so sorry. I love you so much. And with that, a swell of water swallowed the entire truck. and ripped everyone away from one another. The children struggled against the current while their parents struggled to reach them. They all swam desperately trying to avoid the cars,

chunks of asphalt, trees, and other debris swirling and churning in the water. The steep terrain and rapidly rising water made it nearly impossible to escape. Around them, RVs floated in the current, occasionally becoming wedged in trees or cabins before they themselves were ripped from the earth. Nearby on the Lowry land,

two young men who were up late enjoying some beers and just having a night around the fire had watched in real time as the river started to swell. They jumped into action and thanks to them, the majority of the guests staying in those cabins in that area were notified and were able to escape to higher ground before the waters rushed into their homes. At 3.45 a.m., any remaining power lines were destroyed, plunging the area into complete darkness as the water gauge crept towards 16 feet. 15 minutes later, almost 18 feet, by 5.30 a.m. above 23. 23 feet of water. Wow. Yep. In 2.5. 3 hours. That's so crazy. That changes the whole landscape. It's out of control. It's like it's so, it's just wild. It's awful. Around 4 a.m., Carrie Basinger found herself barely gripping onto a smashed out window of a cabin. Shouts from men atop a nearby ridge urged her,

to hold on, but floating pieces of furniture jammed her fingers and she was forced to release her grip. Sweeping her further down the river, she managed to bear hug a utility pole as she was swept down the river and clung on with all her might. The Cleveland's, the camp hosts, struggled to keep their heads above water, but managed to send out prayers. All the while, Sergeant Brady Gore had been monitoring his patrol cars radio because he is in law enforcement and he had his vehicle there, so he was kind of just listening to the chatter of like what's going on, trying to get a firm understanding of just what the holdup was on support. Like the first 9-1-1 call went out by the camp hosts around 2 a.m. And it's now 3.45. And still no one's arrived.

And no one is here. Though through the back and forth chatter on the radio, he overheard bad news. A rock slide had obstructed the only road going into the campground. And as we know from another call, helicopter was not an option. So support would not be coming anytime soon. Several calls from various campers had been made to 911 in the early morning hours of June 11th. Like I said, the first one being okay, excuse me, it was at 244 a.m. So it's still an hour. Yeah, that's still a long time. A long time. An hour is a long time when you're in an emergency to wait for someone. Minutes feel like too long, and now it's been an hour. And can be the difference between someone living in dying. Yeah, a living and dying. Search and rescue teams were dispatched at 3.30 a.m.

But the attitude of the dispatchers led members of the search and rescue team to not take the situation as seriously at first because they were all kind of calm. They were like, it rains. We've had rain before. They're freaking out for no reason. People are wet. For some reason, yeah, for some reason the severity of the situation was somehow not convict. I don't know. Like, I feel like literally there's a direct quote from the 911 call send someone we're all going to drown. That's very clear. Yeah. And they just thought they were over exaggerating. It was just rain or something. I'm not sure. But from everything I read, there's a big point of contention here later on, which we'll get to, that like the situation was not taken as seriously as it should have been. And therefore the response either was affected by that. So and we'll get into that. So it wasn't until the search and rescue teams. approached the recreation area and found themselves driving in over four feet of water that was covering

the roadways. They were unable to safely cross. Did they realize the severity of this situation? And it really hit them in that time. They're like, okay, this is very serious. And we were not prepared for this. And if you were there an hour ago, you could have maybe had the chance to evacuate people. Members of the Langley Volunteer Fire Department, the U.S. Forest Service, and various law enforcement agencies in the surrounding counties descended onto the area and formed a caravan. Due to the weather and the conditions, they were unable to move quickly and for blocks of time were stuck completely idle, waiting for the waters to either recede or to give them some sort of opening and break to make a move. So there was time that they literally just were out of standstill and could not move forward. Hold up after hold up. forced the operation to stop entirely or to significantly slow. It wasn't until 5.34 a.m. that they arrived on scene. So that's what four hours? Three full hours after the initial distress call. And what they came across was absolute chaos. The only light aside from just the first little signs of the rising sun were spots. They were like these little pinpoints of light that at first someone actually missed. took as fireflies. Like, what is that? Like, what is that light? But as the team approached,

they recognized they weren't fireflies, they weren't bugs. They were flashlights that were discarded by panicked campers. And they described it as a war zone. People were screaming from the tops of trees. Others were huddled together and stranded on little flood-created islands surrounded by still churning water. Injured, battered, bleeding survivors were scattered. Every Evidence of what began as dozens of families' fun-filled camping trips was scattered everywhere. There was children flip-flops, bathing suits, coolers, skillets, tents, propane tanks, board games, and even baby bottles, all littering the ground, swirling in the water, and clinging to the trees. Carrie was still clinging to the utility pole at the same time.

She had been swept nearly a mile down river from Loop D all the way down for a mile, and she's now hugging the utility pole. Just holding on. 26-year-old firefighter Cohen Davis put on a life jacket, and despite urging from onlookers to wait until the waters receded, jumped into action. Tying himself to utility lines, he worked his way over the water to get to Carrie.

After securely tying her to him, Cohen urged her to release her grip, but Carrie was frightened. Then, from somewhere along the bank, she heard a familiar voice. Carrie were okay. And it was only then that she released her hold on the pole and allowed Cohen to bring her back to safety where she was immediately brought to the hospital. So this is now just to give you a reference here. This is near the Lowry's campground. So she was swept a mile away from Loop D where her and her family were to the Lowry area. So now she's taken to the hospital. Back at Loop D as the water began to recede, Candice was able to safely make her way down from a treetop that she had found refuge in. She was following familiar voices. Her stepson, Austin, Carrie's stepson, Kyler, and their friend Brady. For a moment, they all stood there,

expecting some sort of rescue to arrive at any moment, but no one had showed yet. Candice was exhausted and collapsed where she stood. The boys, unharmed, set off to search for their families and any other survivors that they could find. They returned with several survivors and said, out amongst the debris several different times, but on one return, Austin was crestfallen. He had found his stepbrother, five-year-old Joey, and he was not alive. Candice asked for her stepson to bring her to her son Joey, and she sat and cradled his body until she was forced away to safety by a rescue worker who finally arrived on scene. Oh, God.

As the sun rose and the waters were seated, search and rescue operations were able to ramp up. It was difficult going. The terrain made it impossible to utilize any sort of heavy equipment to clear the large debris piles, which some were over 30 feet high. Wow. Like this is, like this, the person who described this as a war zone was very accurate. It's just, it looks like a bomb went off. Yeah. But dozens of people were reported missing, and first responders and volunteers were determined to locate them. The Albert Pike Campground was a favorite for many, but what most and certainly all the guests that night at the campground did not know was that nearly 10 years earlier a soil specialist was hired as the campground was being expanded. He had advised the U.S. Forest Service's district ranger James Watson to avoid building anything but primitive and tent camping spots in Loop D, as the area was in a 100-year floodplain, which is land that is predicted to flood during. a 100-year storm, which has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year.

RV camping, he said, would cause too much disruption on an already very fragile terrain, and electricity, water, and sewer hookups should be avoided. He also strongly advised that flash flood hazard signs be placed there. Despite all of this, Ranger Watson moved forward with the plans to include hookups at Loop D, did not install flash flood warning systems, or even include the special. warnings in the environmental reports regarding the campground's expansion. Why? Why would you? So he just omitted all of this. Why would he do that? He later, I don't know if I put this in my notes later, because I know we talk about it a little more in a bit, but he, because obviously he was questioned about this. You know, that's a big deal. And I think he said something along the lines of there was so much public pressure to expand the campground because it's such a popular area. And the public. demand to have more access and more opportunity for camping was greater than...

It was still opportunity. It just was like less hooked up and... So, yes, he essentially ignored all the recommendations. Yes. From the people hired to give their expert opinion on such matters. It's like, never mind. You didn't tell me what I wanted to hear. Oh, okay.

Sorry, there's also more. Additionally, he did not inform architects or engineers working on this expansion project. that the area that Loop D was now going to sit on routinely flooded. And because of this, workers were unaware of that information, obviously, no one told them. So no additional precautions were taken to elevate safety measures in that area of the campground. So they could have built some things to help prevent, like, I don't know, maybe like a retaining wall or something like that to try and help people. Yeah, but they were uninformed, so they had no idea.

So hence they didn't do any of that. John Lewis, the National Weather Service Forecaster, had spent the entire night. and his entire shift, tracking and worrying about the storm system. Despite his and his office's efforts to issue multiple flash flood warnings, Forest Service employees never communicated the warnings to Albert Pike campers or the hosts. As we know, no one was aware. The National Weather Station was not the only office tasked with monitoring changing weather and element changes. The National Forest Service also monitored weather patterns,

especially during dry season when they would monitor 24 hours. hours a day to keep ahead of any force fire threats. So, you know, they routinely do this type of stuff. During business hours, though, advance warnings and alerts had been issued in the past for flood dangers, but they were not required to do so. So in the case of flash floods, it's like, well, yeah, Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, if there happens to me. We'll be around. We'll be around, but if not, and we're not even required to do that. So, and clearly that didn't happen in this case. It was in the middle of the night, no one was watching from that office, I should say, from the Forest Service office. And so, yeah, it's just one thing after another. That's like, God. Like, drop the ball in so

many. Yeah. Like, of course, you can't prevent, like, this is neat. This is, you can't prevent a storm, but you can evacuate people and you can get people out before things. Like, you can monitor the Yeah, that's the crux of this issue. Because there's been, I mean, this isn't the first thing. There's a specialist that knew about it. There's been flash floods in the past. There was even an, even an incidents so significant, it warranted flash flood warning systems to be installed and they just weren't. So there's so many like universal like, hey, hey, hey, hey, do something about this. Like all of this could have been prevented simply by monitoring it and not allowing. You couldn't have changed the damage to the environment or the flash flood, but you could have

changed how many people were down there if any people were down there. Exactly. And also, another surprise. The tower closest by that would have carried the warnings to the weather radios fell down in 2008 and had not been repaired. And what years is this again? 2010. Okay, so it's two years they haven't gotten around to it. Yeah. Okay.

But Lewis also made personal calls to several different county sheriff's offices regarding the impending danger. And he's the one that's like working his ass off to be like, I need to get every warning out to everybody I possibly can. And yeah, he ticked the boxes of, okay, I did. this warning to this office and these people, but now he's personally, like at this time, he was personally calling different offices regarding the impending danger, but he was assured time and time again that it was being handled. So how was he supposed to, you know, like if he's

like, he's doing his part. Right, right. He made the last call shortly before 5 a.m. Like, he had been at it for hours and he was completely unaware of the pandemonium that had unraveled at the campground in the hours that he was doing his best to warn him. everyone. It wasn't until he was home from his shift, watching the morning news, when he saw the breaking news out of the Albert Pike campground. He immediately called his boss, his Savoy's cracking and a weight on his heart, as he told him, I knew it. I knew this was going to happen. The media covered the developing story, and as time went on, the more somber the news became. Over the following days, hundreds of people joined in the search effort. Crew searched for 50 miles

of the river, its various tributaries and the surrounding areas. Divers took to the water. Kayakers skim the surface of the water, rescue crews mounted horses and ATVs, the National Guard swept through the skies, and handlers were led by their search dogs, while everyone else picked through the debris, careful to where they stepped, and for what was above them, because remnants of vehicles and buildings hung precariously in the trees above them, because it was carried up there. The water was so high. Right. The Little Missouri River, had flooded before, but between June 10th and June 11th, 2010, it reached levels that hadn't been witnessed in more than 500 years, rising nearly 20 feet in three hours. So scary. Initially,

there was a lot of confusion about just how many people were missing. There was an estimated 200 to 300 people camping at Albert Pike that night. About 60 were rescued, while dozens of others made their own way to safety. But that left a big question mark regarding just how many people were unaccounted for. And it was just in the first few days, it was really chaotic as far as not knowing exactly who had made it. And then some people had family who was like, they told us they were going camping and we haven't heard from them. And they're like, were they at the Albuquerque Pike Campground or were there somewhere else? You know what I mean? It was just like. Yeah, like people just really scared and right. Candlelight vigils were held and the Obamas even made

a public statement extending their condolences. Like this was national news. It was a huge deal. A call center organized by the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management was set up to receive any tips or inquiries. It took days for a complete recovery to be made and for the complete picture to become clear. Carrie and Candace survived, but they both lost their husbands and each of their two youngest children.

Oh, my God. Of their families, only their stepson survived. Everyone else died. That's awful. The Jen's family was also devastated. Days before they left for their trip, Leslie had posted on Facebook, so ready to go camping this weekend, Caden is going to love it. She, Caden, and her mother all lost their lives.

Of the Rotor family, in the RV, that they were trying to straighten up their RV, Tara survived by clinging to a tree for hours, but her mother, father, and grandmother all died. Oh my God, that's so awful. In all, 20 people lost their lives in the flood, eight of which were children. The victims ranged from two years old to 69 years old and were from Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas. They were Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, College students, electricians, production managers, business owners, veterans, and elementary school students. But most importantly, they were beloved by family members and friends. And I'm just going to read everybody's name.

Okay. Kate and Jen's, Leslie Jenns, Deborah McMaster, Sherry Wade, Kinsley Bassenger, Shane Bassinger, Bruce Roder, Debbie Roder, Kay Roder, Anthony Smith, Caitlin Smith, Joey Smith, Julie Freeman, Gable Moss, Nicholas Schumake, Willeen Shoemake, Robert Lynn Shoemaker, Kylie Sullivan, Eric Schultz, and Deborah McMaster. And I'm sorry if I mispronounce anybody's names, but I took them from the memorial plaque that is now. There. All of that is so sad, but hearing you list off entire families that are lost is so horrible. It's a huge, like, losing one person of your family, especially in a disaster, is un-devastating. Believable. But to lose so many at once is, like, I don't know, I'll get into it, but like, Carrie and Candice, who lost their entire family, except for their steps.

Yeah. In a second. Like, it's just, it's, I don't know. It's horrific. It's so sad. Following the flood, 11 civil suits were filed. In August of 2011, the family of three of the victims filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the United States of America. Roder at all versus the United States of America alleged negligence on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service, claiming that despite the flood history of the area, no attempts were made by the U.S. Forest Service to warn the campers of the flood danger. No signage or warning system was in place to warn campers. No employees properly trained to handle such a high level of emergency were on site. And of course, that Loop D should have never been built to begin with, as it was a known fact that there were issues in that area. Because Loop D, by far, was the hardest hit and had the most people lose their lives who were assigned to that area of the campground. In 2017, all 11 suits were dropped. but the surviving families grievances persisted.

Four months after the flood took almost their entire families, Carrie and Candice were alarmed to hear that the camp had reopened to the public, albeit only for day use. They had made a vow to make their goal in life to ensure what happened to them never happened to anybody else. And that would be through Simon Alert Systems. In the aftermath, a review team appointed by the USDA investigated the flood, and ultimately it determined Ranger Watson knowingly and intentionally disregarded the soil specialist's recommendations as he wanted the sites to be developed rather than primitive and that he wanted to meet the perceived public expectations for a campground. So like I said, for his reasoning, when you passed. Perceived.

It's not up to the public to decide what's up to code and what's safe. That's what professionals are hired to do. Right. The U.S. Forest Service did install signage in the camp warning of flash floods, but Carrie and Candice were unsatisfied with that. We don't want Albert Pike to close forever, Candice said. We want it to be open for thousands of people to enjoy like our families did. We want what should have been done, done now. Which is so fair. That is the fairest statement I've ever heard. That's probably the smallest thing you could ask. I lost my entire family. I have loved this place for years. There's clear mistakes. all I'm asking is that you fix it so no other family has to go through this. And they're like,

eh, we'll do like a little bit. They're like dragging their feet about it. Yeah. When 20 people lost their lives. Yeah. Janice and Denver McRae, the Lowry RV park owners, shut down the RV park for good, and have since commissioned a memorial for those lost on June 11th. The U.S. Forest Service kept trails open in the recreation area, but overnight camping remained closed for years, which upset. a lot of people. In 2019, a group of campers began a petition that called for the reopening of that campground. While everyone is in agreement that it should have been closed in honor of those who perished there, and also to adequately clean up the area and build a warning system, there are hundreds of people who are anxious to return to such a beloved area, many of which

have family members stretching back generations there, just like people who were there that night. Nearly 2,000 people signed a petition, which was then given to the U.S. Forest Service, urging for its reopening for camping purposes. Because again, like I said, it was reopened pretty shortly after for day use. The movement gained traction and legislation was formally introduced in 2023 to do just that with some changes. According to a source called the Archedelphian, the bill would give Forest Service engineers six months to identify an area to build a campground. The U.S. Forest Service would have two years to develop a new campground and stipulates that the U.S. Forest Service would restore at least 54 overnight campsites, the same number that was available prior to the campground being shut down.

U.S. Congressman Bruce Westerman, who is backing the bill, says, quote, we want to make sure that the campgrounds are as safe as possible. There is an inherent risk when you use the outdoors. You can't foolproof the outdoors, but you can use some common sense. And that's what the bill stipulates that the campground be built, above the floodplain, end quote. Along with reopening overnight camping at Albert Pike and seeking to avoid similar tragedies like the flood of 2010, the act promises to do other things, including protecting rock climbing

in some iconic places, creating a new long-distance bike trail, improving access to public lands and waters, and supporting gateway communities. And there's a bunch of other lingo in there that's clumped into this bill. It's not just about improving this campground, if that makes sense. things within the recreation area. Yeah. The bill now called the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act has passed through the House Natural Resource Committee and the House of Representatives.

And as of today, May 6th of 2024, it awaits the U.S. Senate. If it does pass, it will land on the president's desks for signing and Albert Pike will be reopened for overnight camping. But right now, it's kind of like we're just waiting. That's, and this flood was in 2010. Yes. So they really have not reopened this since then. I mean, it's been 14 years.

Yep. So people have gone for day use and things like that. But as far as like having a camping experience here, that has not been available. Carrie Bassinger spent months thinking the voices that she heard while gripping the utility poll that said, Carrie, we're okay, must have just been her imagination because she later learned at the hospital that her entire family had died. Right. Oh, yeah. After all, her husband and children were dead by the time she was being rescued. So she's like, that must have just been a like figment of my imagination, a stress-induced thing. You know, there was a lot going on. Yeah. However, she eventually met up with

her rescuer, Cohen Davis, and he had heard the same thing. While the two women struggled to understand why they lived and so many other people died, they take some solace and knowing their children are with their fathers and that they are not alone. The two women still visit Albert Pike, stroll through the woods, and meander through the shores of the Little Missouri River. They reminisce, they laugh, and they cry. It's been painful, but they couldn't help but notice something. Their visits have always been accompanied by butterflies, following them as they walk, landing on their arms, or landing on the word family on the area's memorial plaque every time they visit. For them, this is not a coincidence. It's a sign.

a clear and simple message that their families are still with them. God. Is that really how you're ending the episode? Oh my God. That was horrible and so sad. I'm sorry. There's not another way to end it. No, I mean, it's beautiful.

But, yeah. God, that is so sad. It's rough. It's so rough. And I'm just so curious to see what ends up happening because at, I will say at first when I was, you know, researching this and things were raw and I was reading so much about, because obviously there's 20 people who passed away and I kind of only focused on a couple just to reduce confusion with 20 different stories. But at first, when I read like the petition to reopen it, it's like, well, we want to recreate there. It's like, have some respect.

Like at first, I would, I think it was just because I was, had just come off reading all that. And I'm like, God, like, can you just give it a rest? like why push for that? And then now rereading it, you know, after about a couple weeks to decompress from originally researching it, I feel like with the changes that they're proposing, I can understand. Just like Candace and Carrie said, it's like we don't want to see the shutdown forever. We want this to be a place where people can come and make memories with their families just like we did. But there just needs to be common sense. And changes, you mean. That's really big on them. And I'm sure very difficult for them to say that too, because this is the place where they lost their families. But at the same time, it's also the place where they have so many treasured memories with them. And it's a place that has meant so much to them. So I see why you would want other people to be able to have that same experience. But it's just that's tough. I mean, that's so hard to. Yeah. So we'll see what happens. I mean, I can see. And if it's, It's coming from the families who are directly affected if they're even on board, like, more power to you. Yeah. But I just, it's so sad because you see this in a lot of different circumstances, whether it be, you know, something like this, a flash flood or other circumstances of like there was just like I mentioned, like so many signs and warnings of like this was bad. It could have been worse.

So do something before it gets to that point. And for one reason or another, those were either ignored or they. weren't given the proper attention that they needed to and then something like this happens. Yeah. It's just a tragedy all around, but hopefully going forward, this area is safer for people to recreate in in the future. And then obviously everyone affected or involved has been affected to the point that they're never going to, like for someone who maybe didn't take, like a dispatcher or

something that didn't take it as seriously, you know for the rest of their life they're always going to take something like that seriously. You know, everyone has been changed. Yeah. Hopefully the future that will always be something. And I think the thing about 911 calls is you have to take all of them seriously. Even if they sound not real to you for, I don't know why that one didn't feel real to them or why. And it was multiple, like multiple occurrences of people being like, yeah, it's being handled. It's okay. Like from, it wasn't just one particular person. Yeah. So like across the board, it was kind of felt like, I don't know if they had experiences in the past where people would call 911 because the river was getting higher and they're like, it's fine. It's not raining that much or like, I don't know. Maybe something just happened more often or something. I don't know. It's just weird that they wouldn't take a 911 call seriously. Yeah. I mean, like you said, maybe they didn't have experience with that. The flood, like I said, Little Mo had flooded in the past, but never, I mean, in 500 years, it's never been like that. So I don't know. But anyway. Anyway, yeah, so that's how I'm going to end that portion of the episode.

I do have one little thing I decided to throw in at the very end. I decided today, actually. Okay. And because I was thinking about it, I was reviewing my notes and obviously carrying Candice, especially like looking at pictures of them and stuff. There's a lot of pictures of them together in the aftermath, like years later, just together, taking a walk, you know, whatever. And it just hit me.

You would never know what happened to them. Like, just by looking at them. you just think they were friends out for a walk. Yeah. Or like passing them or if you have an interaction with them. I mean, obviously, how are you supposed to know that they lost their whole families in a tragedy? Mm-hmm. But it was just like also a good reminder because I've also been thinking a lot about how May is mental health awareness month.

Mm-hmm. And it just happens to correlate without getting like super emotional or into it. We're recording today on May 6th, which is so Ian passed away on May 8th. But today was the last day that he really had, like, he was here. You know, like he was in the ICU and he was already gone by the time the eighth rolled around. So today, two years ago, was technically the last day of Ian's life. And obviously, that's affected me profoundly. And no one would know that who didn't know me.

Or just saw you walking in a grocery store. Yeah, like today when I was out doing errands and stuff, everyone, like is, I hate, I kind of I don't hate this phrase because it's so true. And I do agree with it. But like, be kind because you never know the struggle someone is going through. Like, I don't hate that phrase. I just think we've become really desensitized to it. And it's hard to, like, I don't think that everyone should tiptoe around everyone at all times because you never know what someone's going through. And you know what I mean? Yeah. You can't live your life like that every single day. Like so, yeah. Of all time. You can't walk on eggshells around every person you meet. Just in case. Right. And you don't, I'm not even saying like you have to go. go out of your way to make someone's day. I'm just like, I think this was a really good alignment and day and reminder to just kind of put it out there to everyone whenever you happen to listen to this to just kind of keep that in mind. And you know the phrase, be on the good side of history. Yeah. Be on the good side of somebody's day. Like, don't be the person who is like, when someone's going, looking through their day and being like, I was already on the edge and then this person

flip me off or like cut me off or said something to me when I was already down or like, you know what, just like the little thing that go out of your way to not be hurtful to other people. Right. Just try to do that. And I know sometimes it's hard because our own lives get in the way. We have our own frustrations and things like that. But I don't know. I just thought of Carrie and Candace being like, God, I would never know if I ran into them, you know. And today, like, no one would know that for me. You know, and it's just like, I don't know. It's just, I obviously didn't prepare this out of time because I'm rambling and I don't have anything written out to say. I just thought that it was a good reminder to just be like, you know, everyone is going through shit and just don't add to it. Yeah. Like, that's all I'm trying to say. Like, don't add to it. I think it's such a good point, too, is that you really can't see what people are struggling with no matter what that might be. And to just, you don't have to be super nice to everyone. time, but also don't be a fucking dick. Yes, thank you.

Like, don't be, you know, those things. It's like, not to be mean, but. And then you like say something mean. It's like, yeah, you're still being mean. It's like, no offense or anything, but. But. Just like, whatever you have to say that's like, maybe like think about it for a second and be like, is that kind of rude?

Is it necessary? Does this need to happen right now? No. Okay. Yeah. And whether you know it or not, I just saw this thing. It was like, I will never forget the people who gave me a hard time when I was already having a hard time. And it's so true. It's like, even if you don't consider it, like, you're like, oh, whatever, you know, they'll get over it or I just want to say what I want to say. Or you have like an outburst or whatever. Or you're like, they're a stranger. I don't give a shit. It's like the people on the receiving end of that will not forget that. And why would you want to be that person to somebody else? And especially if you know that person is having a bad time. Right. And then you still go out of your way to. to do something like that, then it's like, okay, now that person's really not going to forget because now you've intentionally made something more difficult.

No, I think it's a good reminder for people just to be kind. Yeah. You know, I've never admittedly been really focused on mental health stuff until my mental health was affected. And I think everyone can relate to that. Like, why worry about something that doesn't really affect you? But yeah, I don't know. It affects everyone. And if it's not you, it's certainly. someone you know. So just, yeah, you don't have to like be this angel that sluggers in. The way that you want to be treated. The golden rule. You learn it when you're like four. Treat others the way that you would like to be treated. Yeah. And a lot of time for me, that's by ignoring people. I would like to be ignored. Don't look at me. Don't talk to me. Just don't be mean to me.

Just don't be mean to me. It's like I am fragile and I will fucking. I will break. I will break at any second. Just don't be fucking mean. You don't even have to be nice to me. Just don't. Just don't be mean to me. Yeah. I'm not expecting anything from me as far as... That's very little. Yeah. It's like, just look away from me. Pretend? But anyway, I'm not here. That's that. That's my little PSA and that's that. And I'm sorry, it was a hard episode. There is no real silver lining other than the fact that at least for Carrie and Candace, they have them, each other. And I did read, I couldn't. It only was in the three-part editorial that I used a lot for this episode. But it said very briefly that. they were moving in together in the aftermath of this. Oh, okay. You know what I mean?

To be together. Yeah. And of course, that was this article was written years ago. So who knows where life has taken them now. But even just if that was real for even a little while, just knowing that you have not only your best friend, but your best friend who also has the same exact losses as you. Yeah. And you can be together in such a horrible time.

Yeah. Yeah. So anywho, that's that. I don't really know how to end this. Yeah. Thank you for that suggestion person who gave us this really sad episode that's traumatizing everyone. Yeah. Thank you.

Thank you. And we will see you next week. I feel so weird doing this, honestly. But enjoy the view. But watch you're back. Bye, everyone. Bye. Thank you so much for joining us again this week.

If you have a trail tale or story suggestion, send us an email at Stories at npadpodcast.com. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook at National Park After Dark and on Twitter at NPAD podcast. Join our outsiders-only community on Patreon or Apple subscriptions to listen ad-free, unlock monthly bonus episodes, and exclusive content. And remember, when you support our sponsors, you are supporting our show. For our exclusive discount codes and source information from today's episode, check out the show notes. For more information on our show, our book recommendations, merch updates, and more, visit our website at npadpodcast.com. And please rate, review, and subscribe from wherever you listen to podcasts.

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