Ground Fall at Ozone

[sampdx]

Anyone have news on the climber who fell at Ozone today? Apparently she took a 50' ground fall and couldn't feel her legs at the time of the accident.

 

http://www.kgw.com/mb/news/local/washington/portland-woman-injured-in-50-foot-fall/138986539

 

 

[Tim S.]

I was out there, but left before the fall. I know the belayer and a couple of the people in the group, but not the leader.

 

From what I've pieced together, it was an over 50' ground fall. Leader was at the anchors, built the anchor and prepared for lower. The belayer began lowering. A few feet into the lower, the leader jumped or bounced off a ledge. This introduced slack into the system and pulled the rope out of the belayer's hand. She was unable to regain control of the rope. The leader impacted the ground with her butt and lower back.

 

My friend who was still out there is writing an accident report. I'll be sure to link it here when he's finished it.

 

[Alisse]

I think this would be better in the "Climbing News" section -- more people will see it, too, and maybe learn something?

 

I hope the climber is OK and makes a full recovery! I'm still confused how the lowering could have begun and then slack was introduced into the system, the climber must not have been fully weighting the rope at the beginning of being lowered?

 

Maybe it wouldn't have helped, but it seems like it probably would have, to have been using a GriGri...? (I wasn't there and don't entirely understand what happened though, so it's just a guess!)

 

 

Edited May 27, 2016 by Alisse

[billcoe]

...

From what I've pieced together, it was an over 50' ground fall. Leader was at the anchors, built the anchor and prepared for lower. The belayer began lowering. A few feet into the lower, the leader jumped or bounced off a ledge. This introduced slack into the system and pulled the rope out of the belayer's hand. She was unable to regain control of the rope. The leader impacted the ground with her butt and lower back.

 

My friend who was still out there is writing an accident report. I'll be sure to link it here when he's finished it.

 

I'm looking forward to your accident report detailing this belayer error. Curious how anyone could drop another, but especially while lowering from the ground. Slack in the system doesn't have anything to do with it. I caught a 250lber (sorry - no names) on a lead fall Saturday and it wasn't difficult. I am embarrassed to say I was noshing on an apple when it occurred. The leader had pulled a couple big rocks off at @ the 50-60' high mark which all but caused us to GTF out of sight and around the corner a tad. He climbed higher and out of sight, then another big rock noise and I had him locked off. He got the usual rope stretch as he was out @ 100 feet at that point on a 9.7 rope and I wasn't directly underneath. But nothing to speak of.

 

When I saw this report in the news I just figured it was the common miscommunication thing where the belayer thinks they are taking the leader off so they can rappel, but the leader is thinking they will be lowered so they lean back to lower and woomp -not on belay.

 

Jesus, the leader must be pretty messed up. My thoughts and prayers are with her.....wow. Hopefully she fully recovers.