This is the last photo of David A. Johnston taken 13 hours before the eruption of Mount Saint Helens

This is the last photo of David A. Johnston taken 13 hours before the eruption of Mount Saint Helens

This is the last photo of David A. Johnston taken 13 hours before the eruption of Mount Saint Helens. His last words were over the radio where he said, “Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!” before going silent. His body was never found.

David Alexander Johnston, an American volcanologist, was the principal scientist on the USGS (United States Geological Survey) monitoring team. His career took him all over the United States, where he studied various volcanoes.

As a talented and meticulous scientist, Johnston was known for his analyses of volcanic gases and their relationship to eruptions. His positive attitude and enthusiasm made his co-workers love and respect him.

Johnston once famously told reporters that being on Mount St. Helens was akin to “standing next to a dynamite keg and the fuse is lit.” He was also one of the first volcanologists to arrive at the scene when signs of eruption first appeared.

Shortly after his arrival, he was made the head of volcanic gas monitoring. In the months leading up to the eruption, Johnston and his co-workers saved thousands of lives by preventing people from going near the volcano. They sealed off the area despite facing tremendous pressure to re-open it.

A number of USGS scientists were part of the team that monitored the volcano. For over two weeks before the eruption, graduate student Harry Glicken was manning the Coldwater II observation post, and he was supposed to be relieved by a USGS geologist named Don Swanson the evening before the eruption. However, for some reason, Swanson could not make it and asked Johnston to take his place, and he agreed.

While manning the Coldwater II post, Johnston’s main role was to observe the volcano and note further signs of an eruption. Before leaving the post on May 17, around 13 hours before the eruption, Harry Glicken took the famous photograph that we see here. Johnston was sitting beside the observation post trailer with his notebook, smiling.

The next morning, on May 18 around 8:32 a.m., the volcano erupted. Johnston was the first person to report the eruption, and he was able to make one last radio transmission saying, “Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!” before being swept away by a lateral blast. 

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