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Accident at GNS?


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Judah Macabee wrote to the UW climbers email list:

I guess I could provide more info: I don't know what happened and by time I got down from my climb and over to the accident scene the high angle rescue team was already there and working on him.

 

From talking to witnesses, it sounded like he was rappelling and ended up on the bolder-like block above Sickle Crack (right above Blockbuster crack, between GNS and the Lizard). Instead of moving left to the GNS anchors at the top of the 5.0 pitch, he slung a horn with a runner as a rappel anchor and attempted to rap off it. As he swung his body over the overhanging block, his runner slid up and off the horn and he fell to the large ledge below, impacting on the dead tree at the base of Sickle Crack on the way down.

 

I think he was conscious and stable when they evacuated him, but had broken bones, possible pneumothorax, and complained of upper quadrant abdomenal pain. They tried to bring in a helicopter, but called it off because it was taking too long and they felt they needed to get him down quickly.

 

One of the rescuers said he found a distended (gate open and blown-out) locking biner, which doesn't jibe with the scenario above, so I don't know how much to trust what I heard.

 

Was anyone there or know how the climber is doing?

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