Thinker Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 When things get a bit slow at work I often peruse the NPS Morning Reports. Here are a couple that make you go hmmmm..... Yosemite National Park (CA) Man Washes Over Vernal Fall On July 30th, Chintan D. Chokshi, a 24-year-old citizen of India residing in Sunnyvale, California, hiked to the top of Vernal Fall with four friends. When Chokshi reached the lookout point at the top of the fall, he crossed through a metal railing, intending to wet his face with river water. The railing is designed to keep visitors back from the swiftly moving water and the wet, river-polished rock near the lip of the waterfall. Signs warning of the danger of going over the falls were in place. After crossing the railing, Chokshi slipped and fell near the edge of the water. He recovered, but then slipped again, this time sliding into the rapidly moving water. He was carried by the current 20 to 30 yards, then went over the lip of the 317-foot waterfall. The incident was witnessed by many people. The river below Vernal Fall is a raging cataract with powerful winds generated by tons of falling water. Minutes after the accident, park dispatch received a 911 cell phone report from a witness. YOSAR responded with shore-based searchers and spotters and established downstream containment observers. The park’s fire management helicopter was also used in the search. The search effort continued for three days. Chokshi's body has still not been located as of this report. [submitted by Mark Faherty, Valley Ranger and Incident Investigator] *************************************** Grand Canyon National Park (AZ) Teenager Falls to Death from North Rim On August 17th, a 16-year-old boy accidentally fell to his death at a developed and fenced viewpoint near the Walhalla Overlook. The victim was traveling with his family when they stopped at the overlook to view the Grand Canyon from the North Rim. The boy ran ahead of his parents toward the overlook, which was 260 feet away. When the parents arrived, he was nowhere to be seen and did not respond to their shouts. The parents then called for ranger assistance via their ON-STAR system. The responding rangers found and recovered the body of the boy 100 feet directly below the overlook. The body was recovered by one of the park's contract helicopters via the long-line short-haul system. [submitted by Mark C. McCutcheon, North District Ranger] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ireneo_Funes Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 It's pretty obvious that the problem lies in not enough fences and railings in our national parks. I expect a couple of $10 million lawsuits pretty soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foraker Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 It's pretty obvious that the problem lies in not enough fences and railings in our national parks. I expect a couple of $10 million lawsuits pretty soon. If people can sue for Natural Selection taking them out of The Big Game, can I sue Gravity for oppressing me and keeping me from achieving Greatness? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thinker Posted August 31, 2005 Author Share Posted August 31, 2005 If people can sue for Natural Selection taking them out of The Big Game, can I sue Gravity for oppressing me and keeping me from achieving Greatness? In which jurisdiction would you file a suit like that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archenemy Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 I think they should bolt the walkways and make people tie in--just like at VertWorld Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 It's pretty obvious that the problem lies in not enough feces and railings in our national parks. I expect a couple of $10 million lawsuits pretty soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuMR Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 I think they should bolt the walkways and make people tie in--just like at VertWorld NO!!!!!! You damn newbie bolt-everything-in-sight punks are ruining it!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted August 31, 2005 Share Posted August 31, 2005 This sort of thing happens all the time. Dozens of people have gone over vernal falls. They don't always find the bodies. They can get lodged underwater and stay there for a long time. Why it happens is rather hard to fathom. I think that it is mostly all the improvements like railings and paths make it seem "civilized" and safe. I don't think it ever goes through their minds that they can actually die, that is until they are falling or being swept away by the current. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foraker Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 actually, i really can't see the park service getting sued. it's not like there isn't a mongo fence there with signs all over saying 'do not go past the fence. people have died. if you go past the fence, you will probably die too. look, we're even using mutiple languages here, small words, and pictures! what? do we need to float skeletons down the river every 5 minutes for you to get the hint?' or something like that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 Maybe both people own Louisiana real estate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slothrop Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 When will people learn that you must keep your child on a leash at all times? http://www.tbotech.com/child-guard.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 I have a friend going through a bone marrow transplant. He cannot contact the donor to thank him. The donor lives in Italy. Why is this so? Two separate bone marrow recipients in the U.S. (from bone marrow donors in Italy) each had different complications due to their transplants. They each tried to sue the bone marrow donors in Italy. The Italian government is now protecting future bone marrow donors from being sued. Only in America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foraker Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 I have a friend going through a bone marrow transplant. He cannot contact the donor to thank him. The donor lives in Italy. Why is this so? There is no requirement that you as a donor have to have any contact with the recipient. You can be completely anonymous (to the recipient) if you choose. You can even back out of the donation at the point where they are standing above you with the needle. Two separate bone marrow recipients in the U.S. (from bone marrow donors in Italy) each had different complications due to their transplants. They each tried to sue the bone marrow donors in Italy. The Italian government is now protecting future bone marrow donors from being sued. Only in America. Suing the bone marrow donor is a frivious lawsuit. If there is any fault, such as the hospital or marrow bank making a mistake in matching, then the fault lies there, not with the donor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeezix Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 They were thinking, "Ohhh nooooooo......!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TREETOAD Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 Darwin at work!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foraker Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 No no no! Not Darwin! Intelligent Demise. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaps Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 I don't know, Thinker, what do you think they were thinking? Geez! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAFO Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 You know some jackass will probably eventually sue the NPS for not having some kind of chainlink fence across the falls to contain people that slip. To my knowlege of the many people that have gone over vernal I don't recall any of them sueing. Maybe that climbers parents sueing over the Glacier point incident should take note. NATURE DOESN'T GIVE YOU REFUNDS! Take it or leave it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foraker Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 Um, people who go over the falls don't tend to sue because, well, they're kinda dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAFO Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 Okay, I was talking about thier families to clairify for you. Either way if you play with fire and get burned. Well, no one cares because you f'd up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thinker Posted September 1, 2005 Author Share Posted September 1, 2005 I don't know, Thinker, what do you think they were thinking? Geez! Actually, we may kinda know what the Vernal Falls guy was thinking...let me wet my face with the holy water to bless my balding head...or some such rot. But what about the guy at the Grand Canyon? Did he forget he had those little wheels on the heels of his shoes when he tried to stop? Did his gang-banger droopy drawers or his untied shoe laces cause him to trip and go headlong over the fence and precipice? Was he running from his parents because they just arugued and they were threatening to beat him? Was he jazzed up on PCP for the seemingly banal family road trip and thought he could fly to the bottom and back? Was he a prankster who was planning on playing hide-and-seek with his family? I really would like to know what that guy was thinking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lummox Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 I really would like to know what that guy was thinking... sssssssss. [white noise sound] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dechristo Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 But what about the guy at the Grand Canyon? Did he forget he had those little wheels on the heels of his shoes when he tried to stop? Did his gang-banger droopy drawers or his untied shoe laces cause him to trip and go headlong over the fence and precipice? I really would like to know what that guy was thinking... He was gettin' a runnin' start so he could jump up and grind the top rail. He thought, "wtf, if I don't nail it, I've taken headers before." It may have been the "headers before" that are the culprits here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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