jonnymo Posted July 13, 2004 Posted July 13, 2004 Reese Martin, an accomplished climber and Access Fund board member, was killed last weekend while competing in the Chelan XC Classic while flying a paraglider. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5424199/ He grew up on Mercer Island, but most recently was living in Aspen, Colorado with his wife, Charlotte Fox. http://www.tradgirl.com/california/reese.htm Quote
catbirdseat Posted July 13, 2004 Posted July 13, 2004 Is this the same Charlotte Fox who climbed Everest in 1996? Quote
jonnymo Posted July 13, 2004 Author Posted July 13, 2004 Yes. Charlotte Fox is also an accomplished climber. Quote
graupel Posted July 13, 2004 Posted July 13, 2004 A little more detail: http://aspentimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040713/SPORTS/107130008 Quote
pindude Posted July 13, 2004 Posted July 13, 2004 What a shock. Reese grew up and learned to climb in the PNW, and always considered this area a home ground even after he moved to Ventura and then Aspen. One of the humble and quiet who did a LOT for the climbing community--among others--and well-liked by everyone. I regret I didn't get to spend more time with him on a rope, or on skis. While I've never tried paragliding, I had thought about trying it with him. He stayed at our place on his way back home last year after he left the championships in Chelan...now I have to break this news to my wife. My condolences to Charlotte, their families, and Reese's friends everywhere. Quote
PatreeseMartin Posted July 20, 2004 Posted July 20, 2004 We are extremely grateful to the climbing and paragliding communities amazing support during this difficult time. Paragliding was Reese's passion. As he used to say, "Who wouldn't want to be able to jump off into the sky from a peak you had just climbed?" He died without pain, doing what he loved, confident in his love for Charlotte and his family. For the detail oriented: The various articles that have been circulating mention that Reese hit a tree. That's incorrect, the result of an overzealous local reporter intrepreting too much out of a stick found at the site. He most likely experienced turbulence that collapsed his wing at an elevation too low to deploy his emergency chute. A full anaysis of his accident is underway and will likely appear in the NHGA publication later this year so that others may learn how to keep the sport he loved so much safer for future pilots. Memorials can be made to the Reese Martin Memorial Fund at the Access Fund. Best, Patrica, Patreese & J.C. Martin Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.