A guy rapped a short distance off the end of his rope (Madame G rap or somewhere close to it) and broke his arm. Given the possibility of further injuries, he was given the full backboard/litter evac treatment.
Confirmed. My partner coordinated the rescue with 2 of our students and a ranger from the preserve. The poor guy decked - I was told 20ft, which probably means 10ft, and was just laying there with a mangled arm and possibly an injured back/leg. They saw him as they were walking by, saw no one giving him medical attention (partner was on the phone with 911 or the preserve I believe), asked if he was ok and started the assessment.
SethG
·
May 28, 2014
·
Unknown Hometown
· Joined Aug 2009
· Points: 291
Wow sounds like he is very lucky under the circumstances. Thank you for the information.
I was topping out the third pitch of Madam G when this happened. My girlfriend was at the second belay and saw the fall. She thought he had died based on the scream, then crunch, then silence. She was unexpectedly not too psyched on the three repels we had to do moments later to descend.
I hope everyone takes this as a reminder to double check your safety systems. Knots in the ropes, prussik backup, or just repelling at a controlled rate could have prevented this accident.
My understanding was the he either didn't see a rap station or he skipped it thinking he could make it. Neither of the two ends of his rope made the ground, and the only people near the base at the time were a guided group of beginners (so no one knew to tell him he wasn't going to make it). I don't know if he lost control or just wasn't watching the ends.
Simu-rapping down "Wolf Will Survive" in Potreo in the dark on a rope with a faded center mark.
Me- "Did you knot the ends of the rope?" Toph- "I didn't" Me- "ah well" pulling up the rope to tie them properly Toph- "Dude! You know we'll make down!!!. You know we'll hit the ground easy!!!" Me- Thinking - So very true, we will hit the ground, I prefer to avoid falling into it.
Hope the injured recovers quickly. Remember, most accidents occur on the way down, low energy and mental fatigue can trick you. Stay vigilant. Knots take seconds to tie. Broken bones take months to heal.
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