thør
Karhu-er
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"Because it's there."
- Thread starter Peregrinator
- Start date
thør
Karhu-er
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Park service calls off search for climber missing on Denali
Presumed dead.
High-tech gear doesn't prevent mental lapses - Medred
Presumed dead.
High-tech gear doesn't prevent mental lapses - Medred
piccicatopolka
gypsywitch
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bummer
yer cute though
yer cute though
Peregrinator
Hooded On A Hill
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Medred makes a great case for the danger of 911 on the mountain. I know the F&G officer I worked with most often had real problems when cell phones became more prominent and common in NH's backcountry. People just took a lot more risk and expected to be able to whistle up a helicopter when they needed it. Until rescue technology and ability catches up with communications, this will always be a problem.
As far as Pete's question, "taking off solo with limited gear" often reduces the risk; time on the mountain is time in the hazard zone. Moving faster is safer. You just need to balance your risk against your preparedness, a dicey call.
thør
Karhu-er
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2 climbers lost in 2008 are found on Denali
Pilfered from the ADN.com:
"Searchers combing through high-resolution photos of Mount McKinley in the hunt for the body of a doctor who has been missing for weeks have instead discovered the remains of two Japanese climbers who disappeared more than a year ago, according to the National Park Service.
The bodies of 27-year-old Tatsuro Yamada and Yuto Inoue, 24, were spotted earlier this week on the upper west face of the mountain, where they died after a fall in an attempt of Cassin Ridge in May 2008, Denali National Park and Preserve spokeswoman Maureen McLaughlin said. They were about 800 feet off their planned route on ridge, she said.
"Although we don't know why they ended up in that particular spot, it seems less likely that it was a diversion during the ascent to the top of the ridge," McLaughlin said. "More likely the fall occurred while they were descending from the ridge above."
Their bodies, discovered Sunday using photos of the mountain taken in the search for Dr. Gerald Myers, were seen as partially buried figures connected by a rope in a steep rocky area west of the Cassin Ridge at 19,800 feet. The next day, a helicopter pulled in close and confirmed there were two frozen figures.
Based on their location, clothing, and rope color, park rangers identified them as Yamada and Inoue, both of Tokyo. Their families have been notified.
The bodies, however, will remain in place because of the "extreme risk posed to a recovery team," according to park officials.
The pair was expected to return from a climb of the Cassin Ridge on May 22, 2008, but they weren't seen again.
Park officials searched the mountain for a week, generating a total of 33 flight hours in helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft. Searchers at the time took thousands of images that turned up numerous clues, including tracks and a possible campsite, but the men weren't found.
In their search for Myers, a "more advanced camera and higher powered lens" were used and turned up their locations, park officials said.
Searchers have still found no sign of Myers, who disappeared last month on a solo attempt at summiting North America's highest peak. Searchers have called off the active search for him, saying he is missing and presumed dead.
They are continuing to examine the photos for evidence that could lead to his location.
Since tracking began in 1932, 104 people have died on Mount McKinley. Counting Myers, 39 bodies remain out of reach on the mountain, McLaughlin said."
Pilfered from the ADN.com:
"Searchers combing through high-resolution photos of Mount McKinley in the hunt for the body of a doctor who has been missing for weeks have instead discovered the remains of two Japanese climbers who disappeared more than a year ago, according to the National Park Service.
The bodies of 27-year-old Tatsuro Yamada and Yuto Inoue, 24, were spotted earlier this week on the upper west face of the mountain, where they died after a fall in an attempt of Cassin Ridge in May 2008, Denali National Park and Preserve spokeswoman Maureen McLaughlin said. They were about 800 feet off their planned route on ridge, she said.
"Although we don't know why they ended up in that particular spot, it seems less likely that it was a diversion during the ascent to the top of the ridge," McLaughlin said. "More likely the fall occurred while they were descending from the ridge above."
Their bodies, discovered Sunday using photos of the mountain taken in the search for Dr. Gerald Myers, were seen as partially buried figures connected by a rope in a steep rocky area west of the Cassin Ridge at 19,800 feet. The next day, a helicopter pulled in close and confirmed there were two frozen figures.
Based on their location, clothing, and rope color, park rangers identified them as Yamada and Inoue, both of Tokyo. Their families have been notified.
The bodies, however, will remain in place because of the "extreme risk posed to a recovery team," according to park officials.
The pair was expected to return from a climb of the Cassin Ridge on May 22, 2008, but they weren't seen again.
Park officials searched the mountain for a week, generating a total of 33 flight hours in helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft. Searchers at the time took thousands of images that turned up numerous clues, including tracks and a possible campsite, but the men weren't found.
In their search for Myers, a "more advanced camera and higher powered lens" were used and turned up their locations, park officials said.
Searchers have still found no sign of Myers, who disappeared last month on a solo attempt at summiting North America's highest peak. Searchers have called off the active search for him, saying he is missing and presumed dead.
They are continuing to examine the photos for evidence that could lead to his location.
Since tracking began in 1932, 104 people have died on Mount McKinley. Counting Myers, 39 bodies remain out of reach on the mountain, McLaughlin said."
thør
Karhu-er
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thør
Karhu-er
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I am sorry to report......
The doctors are really taking it in the shorts up on the mountain this year.
Fresh from the ADN.com:
"Two climbers died Thursday when they fell thousands of feet on Mount McKinley, the National Park Service said.
They were identified as Dr. John Mislow, 39, of Newton, Mass., and Dr. Andrew Swanson, 36, of Minneapolis.
The climbing partners were roped together and fell at least 2,000 feet to their deaths on the Messner Couloir. Another team saw them fall from the 16,500-foot elevation to 14,500 feet, a statement from the Park Service said. But where the pair started falling is not known yet, said spokeswoman Maureen McLaughlin.
The doctors were considered experienced climbers. In 2000, when they made their first and only other trip to the mountain, the Park Service gave them an award for safety, self-sufficiency and assisting other mountaineers. They helped other teams in distress, the service said.
The two men were alone and began their climb of the West Rib on May 30. It was unclear if they were on their way up or down the 20,320-foot Mount McKinley. The Messner Couloir is not a route typically used to ascend or descend the mountain. It is a steep snow gully that drops from 19,000 feet to the 14,200-foot basin. It has been increasingly popular with skiers, but the men did not have skis with them, McLaughlin said. She said it's possible they were traversing the ridge.
The Park Service was still gathering information to determine exactly what happened. McLaughlin said they will interview any teams that may have run into the pair, but it's possible officials will never know why they were on the Messner Couloir or why they fell.
The weather Thursday was good -- with clear skies and light breezes, McLaughlin said.
Three skiers were the first to get to the fallen men. A team of rangers, including medics, arrived shortly thereafter and confirmed the climbers died in the fall.
Rangers recovered the bodies in a helicopter Thursday night.
Swanson, an orthopedic surgeon, worked at a private clinic in Mankato, Minn.
Mislow was a fifth-year neurosurgery resident at Brigham and Women's Hospital. He graduated from the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago. He had climbed or at least attempted to climb Mount Everest, according to the alumni Web site for Princeton University, where he got his undergraduate degree.
Mislow's hospital put out press release calling Mislow "a brilliant surgeon and researcher as well as a devoted spouse, father and friend."
Climbing of North America's highest peak is in full swing now, with 339 climbers on the mountain. Typically about 1,100 people attempt it every year. The average length of stay is 18 or 19 days, McLaughlin said. "
http://media.adn.com/smedia/2009/06/12/10/297-denali.standalone.prod_affiliate.7.jpg
The doctors are really taking it in the shorts up on the mountain this year.
Fresh from the ADN.com:
"Two climbers died Thursday when they fell thousands of feet on Mount McKinley, the National Park Service said.
They were identified as Dr. John Mislow, 39, of Newton, Mass., and Dr. Andrew Swanson, 36, of Minneapolis.
The climbing partners were roped together and fell at least 2,000 feet to their deaths on the Messner Couloir. Another team saw them fall from the 16,500-foot elevation to 14,500 feet, a statement from the Park Service said. But where the pair started falling is not known yet, said spokeswoman Maureen McLaughlin.
The doctors were considered experienced climbers. In 2000, when they made their first and only other trip to the mountain, the Park Service gave them an award for safety, self-sufficiency and assisting other mountaineers. They helped other teams in distress, the service said.
The two men were alone and began their climb of the West Rib on May 30. It was unclear if they were on their way up or down the 20,320-foot Mount McKinley. The Messner Couloir is not a route typically used to ascend or descend the mountain. It is a steep snow gully that drops from 19,000 feet to the 14,200-foot basin. It has been increasingly popular with skiers, but the men did not have skis with them, McLaughlin said. She said it's possible they were traversing the ridge.
The Park Service was still gathering information to determine exactly what happened. McLaughlin said they will interview any teams that may have run into the pair, but it's possible officials will never know why they were on the Messner Couloir or why they fell.
The weather Thursday was good -- with clear skies and light breezes, McLaughlin said.
Three skiers were the first to get to the fallen men. A team of rangers, including medics, arrived shortly thereafter and confirmed the climbers died in the fall.
Rangers recovered the bodies in a helicopter Thursday night.
Swanson, an orthopedic surgeon, worked at a private clinic in Mankato, Minn.
Mislow was a fifth-year neurosurgery resident at Brigham and Women's Hospital. He graduated from the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago. He had climbed or at least attempted to climb Mount Everest, according to the alumni Web site for Princeton University, where he got his undergraduate degree.
Mislow's hospital put out press release calling Mislow "a brilliant surgeon and researcher as well as a devoted spouse, father and friend."
Climbing of North America's highest peak is in full swing now, with 339 climbers on the mountain. Typically about 1,100 people attempt it every year. The average length of stay is 18 or 19 days, McLaughlin said. "
http://media.adn.com/smedia/2009/06/12/10/297-denali.standalone.prod_affiliate.7.jpg
thør
Karhu-er
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It can happen to anyone
JUNEAU-- A teenager reported missing on Mount McGinnis has been found dead.
Megan Peters, spokeswoman for the Alaska State Troopers, says the body of the 16-year-old boy was discovered late Wednesday but retrieval efforts were put off until Thursday because of poor weather on the 4,228-foot mountain.
Alaska State Troopers a got a call Wednesday afternoon that the boy had been separated from the two friends with whom he was hiking. Trooper Jeff Landvatter said the hikers were on top of the mountain when one set his backpack down and it slipped off a ledge. The boy went after it and never came back.
JUNEAU-- A teenager reported missing on Mount McGinnis has been found dead.
Megan Peters, spokeswoman for the Alaska State Troopers, says the body of the 16-year-old boy was discovered late Wednesday but retrieval efforts were put off until Thursday because of poor weather on the 4,228-foot mountain.
Alaska State Troopers a got a call Wednesday afternoon that the boy had been separated from the two friends with whom he was hiking. Trooper Jeff Landvatter said the hikers were on top of the mountain when one set his backpack down and it slipped off a ledge. The boy went after it and never came back.
Peregrinator
Hooded On A Hill
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- May 27, 2004
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- 89,482
Jesus, does that suck or what? What a terrible way to die.
Peregrinator
Hooded On A Hill
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RIP John Bachar. John was a true light of the climbing world, the inspiration for hundreds--if not thousands--of climbers, a mentor to some of the great heroes of rock climbing. He was also by all accounts a wonderful person, a humble and friendly climber. His death is a serious and difficult blow to handle. The manner of his death is surprising; the terrain he was on was moderate. A challenge for a hack like me, it was a stroll for a climber of his caliber.
From: http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-john-bachar8-2009jul08,0,7890954.story
http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2009-07/47933990.jpg
Bachar
Los Angeles Times
OBITUARIES
John Bachar dies at 52; rock climber specialized in free-solo ventures
Los Angeles Times
Bachar climbed without ropes or nets and conquered dangerous routes in Yosemite and elsewhere.
By Pete Thomas
John Bachar, a legendary figure in the obscure and close-knit world of rock climbing, died Sunday after a fall near his home in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. He was 52.
Bachar perished after falling while climbing alone on Dike Wall outside Mammoth Lakes. Nearby climbers heard the fall and quickly reached Bachar, who was rushed to Mammoth Hospital, where he died shortly afterward from severe injuries.
Bachar, who was born in Los Angeles in 1957 and attended UCLA, became famous largely for his exploits as a free-soloist. The form of climbing he practiced was considered the most dangerous because it does not involve ropes or safety equipment.
That precarious chapter of Bachar's life began in the early 1970s when -- as part of a hotshot group of "stonemasters" frequenting Joshua Tree National Monument in the Southern California desert -- he was introduced to John Long, himself destined for superstardom.
Long persuaded Bachar to free-solo a 95-foot route called Double Cross, which had a degree of difficulty of 5.7-plus.
(Class 5.0 to 5.14 is for serious climbers. Bachar, in his prime, stopped scaling anything less than 5.10. Climbs are further delineated by letters, as in 5.11a, 5.11b and 5.11c, the latter being most difficult.)
Bachar scampered spider-like up Double Cross and soon became part of a seasonal pilgrimage to the Yosemite Valley and Camp 4, the historic center of the climbing universe.
There the climbers enjoyed a spartan existence but relished every moment of togetherness and the beacon call of sheer surroundings. They challenged themselves and shared stories around the campfire.
Bachar often was the subject of those stories. In 1976, after he free-soloed a 5.11a route in Yosemite called New Dimensions, news resonated throughout the climbing universe.
"People looked at me like I was very weird for a couple of months," Bachar recalled in April for an article in Colorado's Daily Camera newspaper. "They thought I was crazy or something."
Bachar is perhaps best known for his first ascent of the Bachar-Yerian (5.11c) route in Yosemite's Tuolumne Meadows, which he conquered with Dave Yerian in 1981.
That same year Bachar posted a note in Yosemite offering a "$10,000 reward for anyone who can follow me for one full day." Nobody accepted the challenge.
Phil Bard, a friend of Bachar's and a renowned climbing photographer, recalled the days in the early 1980s when Bachar routinely scaled 5.10- and 5.11-rated routes.
"It was always breathtaking to see John gliding effortlessly upward on tiny knobs or with only the first knuckles of his fingers in a crack 100 feet off the ground.
"It took superior training and complete control over his mind-set to accomplish what he did, and in a way it is only a climber that can truly understand what he represented to the sport."
Bachar repeatedly acknowledged the danger of climbing without ropes. But he once described the feeling as addictive and like that of flying or being on another planet.
Bachar's most serious injury occurred during an automobile accident in 2006, while driving home from the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City. He suffered five fractured vertebrae and did not recover full mobility.
Bachar was single, and his survivors include a son, Tyrus. Services are still being planned, Bard said.
From: http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-john-bachar8-2009jul08,0,7890954.story
http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2009-07/47933990.jpg
Bachar
Los Angeles Times
OBITUARIES
John Bachar dies at 52; rock climber specialized in free-solo ventures
Los Angeles Times
Bachar climbed without ropes or nets and conquered dangerous routes in Yosemite and elsewhere.
By Pete Thomas
John Bachar, a legendary figure in the obscure and close-knit world of rock climbing, died Sunday after a fall near his home in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. He was 52.
Bachar perished after falling while climbing alone on Dike Wall outside Mammoth Lakes. Nearby climbers heard the fall and quickly reached Bachar, who was rushed to Mammoth Hospital, where he died shortly afterward from severe injuries.
Bachar, who was born in Los Angeles in 1957 and attended UCLA, became famous largely for his exploits as a free-soloist. The form of climbing he practiced was considered the most dangerous because it does not involve ropes or safety equipment.
That precarious chapter of Bachar's life began in the early 1970s when -- as part of a hotshot group of "stonemasters" frequenting Joshua Tree National Monument in the Southern California desert -- he was introduced to John Long, himself destined for superstardom.
Long persuaded Bachar to free-solo a 95-foot route called Double Cross, which had a degree of difficulty of 5.7-plus.
(Class 5.0 to 5.14 is for serious climbers. Bachar, in his prime, stopped scaling anything less than 5.10. Climbs are further delineated by letters, as in 5.11a, 5.11b and 5.11c, the latter being most difficult.)
Bachar scampered spider-like up Double Cross and soon became part of a seasonal pilgrimage to the Yosemite Valley and Camp 4, the historic center of the climbing universe.
There the climbers enjoyed a spartan existence but relished every moment of togetherness and the beacon call of sheer surroundings. They challenged themselves and shared stories around the campfire.
Bachar often was the subject of those stories. In 1976, after he free-soloed a 5.11a route in Yosemite called New Dimensions, news resonated throughout the climbing universe.
"People looked at me like I was very weird for a couple of months," Bachar recalled in April for an article in Colorado's Daily Camera newspaper. "They thought I was crazy or something."
Bachar is perhaps best known for his first ascent of the Bachar-Yerian (5.11c) route in Yosemite's Tuolumne Meadows, which he conquered with Dave Yerian in 1981.
That same year Bachar posted a note in Yosemite offering a "$10,000 reward for anyone who can follow me for one full day." Nobody accepted the challenge.
Phil Bard, a friend of Bachar's and a renowned climbing photographer, recalled the days in the early 1980s when Bachar routinely scaled 5.10- and 5.11-rated routes.
"It was always breathtaking to see John gliding effortlessly upward on tiny knobs or with only the first knuckles of his fingers in a crack 100 feet off the ground.
"It took superior training and complete control over his mind-set to accomplish what he did, and in a way it is only a climber that can truly understand what he represented to the sport."
Bachar repeatedly acknowledged the danger of climbing without ropes. But he once described the feeling as addictive and like that of flying or being on another planet.
Bachar's most serious injury occurred during an automobile accident in 2006, while driving home from the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City. He suffered five fractured vertebrae and did not recover full mobility.
Bachar was single, and his survivors include a son, Tyrus. Services are still being planned, Bard said.
Last edited:
Peregrinator
Hooded On A Hill
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According to some reports, the boulder problems in the climbers' camp at Yosemite were calculated to completely annihilate a new climber's psychological perspective. The most famous of them all is a problem called "Midnight Lightning."
This is Bachar, having cruised the problem, one which he probably did laps on for training:
http://image.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/Midnight_Lightning(1).jpg
This is Bachar, having cruised the problem, one which he probably did laps on for training:
http://image.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/Midnight_Lightning(1).jpg
Peregrinator
Hooded On A Hill
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http://www.examiner.com/x-1928-Mammoth-Town-Buzz-Examiner~y2009m7d7-Further-details-on-Bachar-death
John Bachar, world-renowned free soloist passed away in an apparent climbing accident on Sunday, July 5. Bachar, a resident of Mammoth Lakes, was climbing without ropes at Dike Wall where he seems to have fallen. The reporting party, some fellow climbers in the area, did not see the accident but heard noise from the fall and called emergency services. Mono County Paramedics and the Mammoth Lakes Fire Department were first on scene around noon, with Mono County Search and Rescue following shortly thereafter.
Bob Rooks, Division Chief of Operations with Mammoth Lakes Fire Department, was the Incident Commander on the scene that day.
“No one actually seems to have seen the fall,” Rooks stated. “He was climbing without a rope and without a helmet.”
Dike Wall is located on the backside of Lake George in the Lakes Basin. The engine companies were sent across the lake in boats from the Lake George Marina while Search and Rescue walked the foot trail around the lake to the scene. After stabilizing Bachar where he was found at the base of the wall, rescuers had to carry the unresponsive, but breathing 51-year-old on a litter, or stretcher, across a boulder field and down a trail to the lake, where they loaded him into a motorboat. Dike Wall sloughs off much like Devils Postpile, according to Rooks, which is the reason for the boulder field.
“In a situation like that we move as fast as we can," Rooks explained. "There was some tricky footwork in order to carry the litter through the boulders.”
According to Rooks, the path takes about 10-15 minutes without a litter. He was unsure how long the transfer took in total.
Once across the lake, Bachar was loaded into an ambulance and taken to Mammoth Hospital. He remained unconscious the entire time of the transfer. It was at Mammoth Hospital that Bachar passed away from severe injuries. At this time there are no further details on what may have caused the accident. According to Rooks, the Mono County Sheriff’s Department, which also serves as the County Coroner, will be the agency responsible for looking further into the cause of the fall.
John Bachar, world-renowned free soloist passed away in an apparent climbing accident on Sunday, July 5. Bachar, a resident of Mammoth Lakes, was climbing without ropes at Dike Wall where he seems to have fallen. The reporting party, some fellow climbers in the area, did not see the accident but heard noise from the fall and called emergency services. Mono County Paramedics and the Mammoth Lakes Fire Department were first on scene around noon, with Mono County Search and Rescue following shortly thereafter.
Bob Rooks, Division Chief of Operations with Mammoth Lakes Fire Department, was the Incident Commander on the scene that day.
“No one actually seems to have seen the fall,” Rooks stated. “He was climbing without a rope and without a helmet.”
Dike Wall is located on the backside of Lake George in the Lakes Basin. The engine companies were sent across the lake in boats from the Lake George Marina while Search and Rescue walked the foot trail around the lake to the scene. After stabilizing Bachar where he was found at the base of the wall, rescuers had to carry the unresponsive, but breathing 51-year-old on a litter, or stretcher, across a boulder field and down a trail to the lake, where they loaded him into a motorboat. Dike Wall sloughs off much like Devils Postpile, according to Rooks, which is the reason for the boulder field.
“In a situation like that we move as fast as we can," Rooks explained. "There was some tricky footwork in order to carry the litter through the boulders.”
According to Rooks, the path takes about 10-15 minutes without a litter. He was unsure how long the transfer took in total.
Once across the lake, Bachar was loaded into an ambulance and taken to Mammoth Hospital. He remained unconscious the entire time of the transfer. It was at Mammoth Hospital that Bachar passed away from severe injuries. At this time there are no further details on what may have caused the accident. According to Rooks, the Mono County Sheriff’s Department, which also serves as the County Coroner, will be the agency responsible for looking further into the cause of the fall.
butters
High on a Hill
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Because it's there'
Would you say that attitude prevails beyond your enjoyment of mountain climbing? Is it an intrinsic part of how you mountaineers approach life, or is it restricted only to what happens to you when you see that physical looming challenge to your skills?
Would you say that attitude prevails beyond your enjoyment of mountain climbing? Is it an intrinsic part of how you mountaineers approach life, or is it restricted only to what happens to you when you see that physical looming challenge to your skills?
Last edited:
thør
Karhu-er
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Perhaps he lost concentration for a moment? Or a bit of the rock gave way?
Peregrinator
Hooded On A Hill
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The guide in this disaster is an old friend and former student.
Texas woman drowned, report finds
Rafters, kayaker made several attempts to save Clemmons on upper Animas River
by Dale Rodebaugh and Amy Maestas
Herald Staff Writers
Article Last Updated; Wednesday, July 08, 2009
River guides and a kayaker tried several times to save a Texas woman who drowned in Ten Mile Rapid on the upper Animas River on June 26, according to a San Juan County Sheriff's Office report.
http://www.durangoherald.com/sections/News/2009/07/08/Texas_woman_drowned_report_finds/images/34174871.jpg
A photograph taken from a helicopter in June 2005 shows the rough stretch of the Class V-rated Ten Mile rapid on the upper
Animas River north of Rockwood. Ten Mile is the rapid where a woman from Texas drowned June 26 while on a commercial
rafting trip.
Laurie Clemmons, 35, of Mont Belvieu, Texas, died after she and the other passengers in a raft entered the rapid backward and fell into the water. The report, obtained Monday by The Durango Herald, details the ensuing attempt at rescuing the passengers but also explains that the guides seemed to follow protocol for such an incident.
"I wasn't there and I haven't read the report, but from how it was explained to me, there's nothing out of the ordinary," said Casey Lynch, owner of Mountain Waters Rafting, based in Durango.
Lynch also is spokesman for Dana Kopf, owner of 4 Corners Whitewater of Durango, the company hired by the Clemmons party.
On Monday, Kopf - who helped pull Clemmons from the water - declined to discuss the incident. He issued a news release and expressed sympathy for Clemmons' family and friends.
According to the report, Clemmons was one of four passengers in a raft guided by Candace Brendler of 4 Corners Whitewater. Clemmons fell out of the raft in Ten Mile Rapid about 1:20 p.m. The report said river guides pulled her from the water downstream of the rapid and performed CPR for 45 minutes under the direction of an emergency-room doctor who was on the trip.
Ten Mile Rapid is rated a Class V rapid, on a scale of I-VI. A Class VI rapid is considered to be virtually unnavigable.
An autopsy conducted by the La Plata County coroner's office June 29 listed the cause of death as drowning with head trauma. The report said Clemmons was wearing a helmet and personal flotation device.
The day before, Clemmons successfully passed the raft company's required test on the lower Animas to make sure participants could swim defensively and aggressively and were able to grab an emergency throw rope.
Ten Mile Rapid is a treacherous three-quarters of a mile in a narrow canyon. Impelled by heavy, intermittent rain, the Animas was flowing at about 1,530 cubic feet per second the day of the incident, as measured at the gauge below Silverton. It was a "high" flow for the upper Animas, Lynch said.
Lynch said weather on the days before the trip made the conditions on the upper section of the river somewhat riskier.
"There was a lot of heavy rain above Silverton that surged down the river and made it a high-flow trip," Lynch said.
According to the report, Brendler's raft entered the rapid backward. It was turned sideways when it hit a rough area. Laurie Clemmons, her husband, Michael, and passenger Jeremy Feinberg fell out. During maneuvering, Brendler's left oar broke. The three passengers were swept downstream. Michael Clemmons and Feinberg were pulled from the water. But Laurie Clemmons was unable to hold on to the rear of a kayak of a safety kayaker.
The report said once Kopf - who was on a raft downstream from Brendler - noticed Brendler's passengers were in the water, he intercepted Laurie Clemmons and grabbed her life vest, but was unable to pull her into his raft. Kopf and the safety kayaker finally pulled Laurie Clemmons from the water and took her to the bank about a mile downstream, where they began performing CPR. Dr. Jonathan Rudoit of Farmington, a member of the rafting party, took over doing CPR. Laurie Clemmons died shortly after.
"The upper Animas is the upper echelon of running a river," Lynch said Monday. "You can do your best, but it's risky. I wasn't there, but everything I have heard, I believe (the company and guides) acted properly."
Texas woman drowned, report finds
Rafters, kayaker made several attempts to save Clemmons on upper Animas River
by Dale Rodebaugh and Amy Maestas
Herald Staff Writers
Article Last Updated; Wednesday, July 08, 2009
River guides and a kayaker tried several times to save a Texas woman who drowned in Ten Mile Rapid on the upper Animas River on June 26, according to a San Juan County Sheriff's Office report.
http://www.durangoherald.com/sections/News/2009/07/08/Texas_woman_drowned_report_finds/images/34174871.jpg
A photograph taken from a helicopter in June 2005 shows the rough stretch of the Class V-rated Ten Mile rapid on the upper
Animas River north of Rockwood. Ten Mile is the rapid where a woman from Texas drowned June 26 while on a commercial
rafting trip.
Laurie Clemmons, 35, of Mont Belvieu, Texas, died after she and the other passengers in a raft entered the rapid backward and fell into the water. The report, obtained Monday by The Durango Herald, details the ensuing attempt at rescuing the passengers but also explains that the guides seemed to follow protocol for such an incident.
"I wasn't there and I haven't read the report, but from how it was explained to me, there's nothing out of the ordinary," said Casey Lynch, owner of Mountain Waters Rafting, based in Durango.
Lynch also is spokesman for Dana Kopf, owner of 4 Corners Whitewater of Durango, the company hired by the Clemmons party.
On Monday, Kopf - who helped pull Clemmons from the water - declined to discuss the incident. He issued a news release and expressed sympathy for Clemmons' family and friends.
According to the report, Clemmons was one of four passengers in a raft guided by Candace Brendler of 4 Corners Whitewater. Clemmons fell out of the raft in Ten Mile Rapid about 1:20 p.m. The report said river guides pulled her from the water downstream of the rapid and performed CPR for 45 minutes under the direction of an emergency-room doctor who was on the trip.
Ten Mile Rapid is rated a Class V rapid, on a scale of I-VI. A Class VI rapid is considered to be virtually unnavigable.
An autopsy conducted by the La Plata County coroner's office June 29 listed the cause of death as drowning with head trauma. The report said Clemmons was wearing a helmet and personal flotation device.
The day before, Clemmons successfully passed the raft company's required test on the lower Animas to make sure participants could swim defensively and aggressively and were able to grab an emergency throw rope.
Ten Mile Rapid is a treacherous three-quarters of a mile in a narrow canyon. Impelled by heavy, intermittent rain, the Animas was flowing at about 1,530 cubic feet per second the day of the incident, as measured at the gauge below Silverton. It was a "high" flow for the upper Animas, Lynch said.
Lynch said weather on the days before the trip made the conditions on the upper section of the river somewhat riskier.
"There was a lot of heavy rain above Silverton that surged down the river and made it a high-flow trip," Lynch said.
According to the report, Brendler's raft entered the rapid backward. It was turned sideways when it hit a rough area. Laurie Clemmons, her husband, Michael, and passenger Jeremy Feinberg fell out. During maneuvering, Brendler's left oar broke. The three passengers were swept downstream. Michael Clemmons and Feinberg were pulled from the water. But Laurie Clemmons was unable to hold on to the rear of a kayak of a safety kayaker.
The report said once Kopf - who was on a raft downstream from Brendler - noticed Brendler's passengers were in the water, he intercepted Laurie Clemmons and grabbed her life vest, but was unable to pull her into his raft. Kopf and the safety kayaker finally pulled Laurie Clemmons from the water and took her to the bank about a mile downstream, where they began performing CPR. Dr. Jonathan Rudoit of Farmington, a member of the rafting party, took over doing CPR. Laurie Clemmons died shortly after.
"The upper Animas is the upper echelon of running a river," Lynch said Monday. "You can do your best, but it's risky. I wasn't there, but everything I have heard, I believe (the company and guides) acted properly."
TurdFergeson
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Sorry to hear that.
It seems to be a dangerous sport. The danger must be one of the aspects that draws people to it, though. Pure adreneline kayaking through those rapids, I'm sure.
Peregrinator
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You know, I'm not sure it applies to me at all. That said, I do know some climbers who are wired that way, who see a challenge and have to take it. At least one of them is a doctor now because he hadn't reached the summit yet at lower levels of licensure. For me, climbing is much more about exploration. I suppose one of the reasons I don't feel compelled to do harder and harder stuff all the time is that I never felt like I was accomplishing much by climbing stuff a million people before me had done. My favorite days were on relatively moderate terrain in remote and wild places.
I'm sure it was one or the other. Or he had a stroke or something. We'll never know.
Peregrinator
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Sorry to hear that.
It seems to be a dangerous sport. The danger must be one of the aspects that draws people to it, though. Pure adreneline kayaking through those rapids, I'm sure.
Candace is a lovely woman. I'm sure she'll bounce back. I'm equally sure she's going through some shit right now. Blaming herself and stuff.
You're right though; and that particular stretch of river sounds pretty hardcore.
Peregrinator
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I should have said, "with good friends of a similar mindset." In some ways the whole climbing experience for me is about the team aspect, though every time I've gone climbing alone was also a glorious day.
thør
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I saw a friend of mine last week at her work site and we got to talk for a few minutes. I hadn't seen her since skiing last December. When she needed to get back to work, I said, "Give me a hug." She said, "You heard about my incident, didn't you?" I said, "Yeah, and I'm just happy to hug you." She commented that she was just happy that a group of competent people did everything right. She remembered nothing, but waking up on the riverside. The short story is that she's just fine, physically and mentally.
I know that I am guilty of posting more reports of fatalities from accidents in this thread than successful rescues or just lessons learned. On the river, I know that there are are many more successes than failures when rescues are involved. My throw rope has gotten a good workout in the past couple of years. I can't say the the people who grabbed it were always in a life threatening position, but the rocks downstream can quickly turn an easy swim into a bad swim and it's always best to side with safety. It's the same with a slip on the mountain. If your safety gear or your partner catches you, you just plow on and there is no incident.
I think your friend is going to be fine. After she gets the grief out of her system, she'll be on top of her game. If anything, she will have the best rigged boat, the best gear and be the most prepared of all the guides she works with. She'll definitely be "rigged to flip and dressed to swim".
thør
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Alone is a different mindset, and can be very therapeutic.
Peregrinator
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Yes, I think so. It's so true, isn't it, that when there's a near incident, there's no report. I've fallen while climbing more times than I could begin to count; you drop a few feet and go "boing!" on the rope, curse, hang for a minute, chalk up again, and then fire through the move the right way this time. I'm sure it's similar on rivers.
Candace is a strong and experienced woman. I agree that she'll be fine, and that she'll always be just that little bit more cautious. It's sad that someone had to die, but I think the silver lining is as you say.
butters
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Of course it is wiser to go as part of a group for safety reasons. I have only ever visited that bleak Welsh mountain and it was with a group and for the day. Freezing cold with all that black slate and the weather closed in in a matter of minutes. Lol, that's the most extreme I've ever been, and maybe that seems like a stroll in the park compared with what you've done. Admittedly it WAS all walking with a bit of scrambling, no actual climbing, but I was young, fit and KNACKERED by the time we'd walked back down (slid, mostly) to find the nearest pub
I like safer, more temperate pastures - gently rolling hills, rivers, lots of sky and amazing horizons. And mainly I like to do these things alone so I can listen and feel all that's about me. Kinda get lost in it all, really.
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Clears the head and creates confidence.
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