Two Men Die In Massive Sand Avalanche

ARVIN, Calif. -- According to the Kern County Sheriff's Department, rescue crews found a second man, Baltazar Garcia Perez, 34, who died in a sand avalanche near Arvin, Calif.

Three tresspassers were removing sand from a hill and loading it on a trailer around 8 a.m. Monday on the property of Johnston Farms when it collapsed on them. Another worker, Edmundo Hernandez, 44, was found dead in the collapse earlier Monday, according to the sheriff's department. Both men died at the scene.

One man was rescued after being half-buried in the sand. He is in fair condition at an area hospital.

YouTube: Fire Department Video Of Man Rescued From Sand

Fire officials said Kern County and Bakersfield City crews were in a dangerous rescue situation because there was not a sure way to shore up portions of the collapsed hill.

Fire crews at Mountain View Road near Tejon Highway have called the collapse a natural disaster, although it's unknown if the berm is natural or man-made. California's Great Central Valley, once a sea bed, has many sand and sandstone hill formations and deposits.

The berm is about 75-feet high on the private property of Johnston Farms. According to Johnston Farms, the men tresspassed onto farm property to remove sand from a hill. Johnston Farms said none of the men were employees.

One fire official said rescue efforts were extremely dangerous. "The sand can slough off or move at any given time," he said.

At least one family member said it looked like the rescuers weren't doing enough to free the victims. The same fire official later added, "It was very unsafe for rescuers for a long time."

When crews arrived, only one person was visible.

It was first reported as a collapsed trench but fire crews found a much different and far more dangerous situation.

Johnston Farms has been farming potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, wheat and citrus in California's southern Central Valley since 1955. Their ranch is operated by third generation farmers Kevin and Dennis Johnston.