Pinecreek Accident

[oldno7]

According to Bruce Silliman there was an accident yesterday.

Anyone have info?

Bo?

[safira]

I am sorry. I missed this. I asked the same question. Still no answer though. I can't find anything in the news yet either.

[trackrunner]

It may or may not have been a ranger/employee 80ft fall (I don't inted to spread rumors just giving latest info I've read). Having gone through a canyons with Bo and hearing his tales I'm glad for SAR & there ability to get this person out to the hospital. I hope the person pulls through.

[ratagonia]

It may or may not have been a ranger/employee 80ft fall (I don't inted to spread rumors just giving latest info I've read). Having gone through a canyons with Bo and hearing his tales I'm glad for SAR & there ability to get this person out to the hospital. I hope the person pulls through.


Word in town is a backcountry ranger fell about 80 feet (at the last rappel). Airlifted out to St George trauma center in critical condition. Let
us hope her injuries are survivable, at least.

Few people fall that far and survive.

Tom

[canyonguru]

As soon as anyone hear's about the accual fall and how it happened i would like to know. Lets pray that she pulls through this. I really hope that it is just rappeler error and not a tech. malfunction.

[trackrunner]

It may or may not have been a ranger/employee 80ft fall (I don't inted to spread rumors just giving latest info I've read). Having gone through a canyons with Bo and hearing his tales I'm glad for SAR & there ability to get this person out to the hospital. I hope the person pulls through.


Word in town is a backcountry ranger fell about 80 feet (at the last rappel). Airlifted out to St George trauma center in critical condition. Let
us hope her injuries are survivable, at least.

Few people fall that far and survive.

Tom

Thanks for the better info Tom. Sounds like a nasty accident. I hope & pray she pulls through/recovers.

[Iceaxe]

A woman fell at the last rappel and is in very critical condition. A blackhawk helicopter from Nellis was brought in because she was so critical.

Lets be careful out there.

:cool2:

[Iceaxe]

She is a back country volunteer, not a ranger....

[ratagonia]

She is a back country volunteer, not a ranger....

Injured Hiker Rescued from Pine Creek Canyon

Date: July 31, 2008
Contact: David Eaker, 435-772-7811
Contact: Ron Terry, 435-772-0160

An injured hiker was rescued from Pine Creek Canyon in Zion National Park on Thursday evening, July 30, 2008. Kaitlyn Bohlin, 23, of Northfield, Illinois, fell approximately 100 feet during the last rappel in the popular canyoneering area. She suffered multiple injuries and was transported by helicopter to the University Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The cause of the fall is under investigation.

Bohlin, a backcountry volunteer in Zion, was canyoneering with a friend on her day off in Pine Creek Canyon, a route that she had completed in the past. The fall occurred at approximately 2:45 p.m. as she was preparing to do the final rappel of the route. Bohlin

[Iceaxe]

Thanks Tom. :2thumbs:

[oldno7]

Best wishes to her. Thanks for the update.

[Scott Card]

My thoughts and prayers are with this woman. That is a tragedy. "Approximately 100 feet" is the entire length of that last rap. My last calculation of that last rap with a brand new 200' rope from Tom is that particular rap is just about 100 feet spot on. I can't believe she survived if it was a true free fall. I too wish to know what happened. It just goes to show that even the "easy" stuff must be taken seriously. Mental lapses (not saying this occured, just making a comment here) have no part in this sport. We can't afford the luxury of mentally relaxing on rappel, prior to rapping or belaying, etc.

[Iceaxe]

Nothing to base this on right now.... but for some reason I think she slipped and fell and was not actually on rappel.... could be wrong, or it might have been something one of the rangers said... or the way they said it....

Just tossing rocks in the pond....

:cool2:

[Scott Card]

could be wrong, or it might have been something one of the rangers said... or the way they said it....

Just tossing rocks in the pond....

:cool2: Yes you are and I ain't going there on this thread. :nono:

[accadacca]

What a sad deal. I hope the best for her.

[safira]

I hope she had a helmet on and I hope the rest of her body fares well too. Poor thing. :(

[pfinjt]

Story from the St. George Spectrum:

http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080731/NEWS01/80731009

[Scott Card]

Story from the St. George Spectrum:

http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080731/NEWS01/80731009

Which is it?

Quote #1 ".... a hiker Wednesday who fell approximately 100 feet during a rappel in Pine Creek Canyon..."

OR

Quote #2 "The fall occurred at approximately 2:45 p.m. as Bohlin was preparing to do the final rappel of the route."

During the rappel or preparing to rappel? A big difference. :popcorn: I know at that last rap, I tether myself to the little arch to the left, LDC while at that spot, whether I am setting the rap or just getting on the rap. After clip to the arch, I hook up on rap then undo the tether. I have done that canyon somewhere around a dozen times and I have clipped off every time.

[Wasatch]

Sorry to hear about this. I also think she slipped before getting on rappel. I usually sit there on that little rock/ledge and get on rappel, then kinda lauch myself out. That is one big drop!

Also, before getting to the rappel, there is that climb up, where the hole use to be. The big boulder that sits there, she could have slipped there, who know's.

[abirken]

Oh my. This is so horrible and my heart hurts for her. I hope that she can recover and survive from this kind of accident. My good energy being sent out her way to pull through this.

[trackrunner]

The Spectrum/Daily News (local paper for SW Utah) has two pictures of the accident. One of the Black Hawk Helicopter in the canyon, the other of the helicopter hovering low to extract the individual. I only saw this pic on line posted below as an attachment.

While a lot of people talk about how the federal government is broken at the several agencies don't communicate with each other, I'm glad to here that the park was able to get assistance from the Air Force in a situation as critical as this to someone's life. :flag: Hope she recovers.

[trackrunner]

Found todays story & Pics
http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080801/NEWS01/808010330

A.F. makes Zion rescue
Park volunteer falls 100 feet in canyon

PATRICE ST. GERMAIN

[shaggy125]

Very sad, that is one of the few raps I always clip in on before setting up to rap, even then it would be very easy to slip before being able to clip in. Whatever happened I hope she recovers. If they had flown her to SLC there would be a good chance I would have her as a patient but not if she's in Vegas. I've been able to take care of quite a few people you hear about on the news but no canyoneers yet.

[R]

I'm feeling sad about this too. Life is incredibly fragile.

[Iceaxe]

Update form today's NPS Morning Report.....

Zion National Park (UT)
Update On Rescue Of Injured Park Volunteer

On Wednesday, July 30th, Kaitlyn Bohlin, 23, a backcountry volunteer in Zion (not an SCA as was originally reported), was canyoneering with a friend on her day off in Pine Creek Canyon, a popular route that she had completed in the past. As she attempted the route

[Don]

Still no word on why she fell?

[pfinjt]

I was in Zion over the weekend and spoke with folks at the Backcountry desk and at one of the climbing shops. No one is absolutely sure what happened, but it appears that the woman set up a biner block to do the rap and then rigged on the wrong side of the block.

Again, no one knows for certain, but from what the woman's canyoneering partner said to the people I talked to, it appears that's what happened.

[Alex]

Any update on her health?

[Deathcricket]

Any update on her health?

On the link there was this in the comments.


Fishertrap - Kaitlyn is my sister. Thank you so much for posting information regarding the rescue. Kaitlyn is making remarkable progress. As of today, she is breathing without a respirator and was asking for cookies and hamburgers. We are all shocked and feel so blessed that she is alive and making such headway. The doctors are extremely positive, and we could not be more grateful for all the prayers and love that has been pointed in our direction. Tell your brother that Kaitlyn remembers the boyscouts and smiles. While she was still on the respirator she gave the boyscouts a thumbs-up and one of the few smiles I saw while the tubes were still in. Thank you to everyone out there who helped save my little sister's life. She is so precious to us, and we are unspeakably grateful she is still with us.
8/3/2008 9:07:43 PM

[pfinjt]

The St. George Spectrum had a few articles reporting on the accident. The following is from the comments section of one of the articles:

Fishertrap - Kaitlyn is my sister. Thank you so much for posting information regarding the rescue. Kaitlyn is making remarkable progress. As of today, she is breathing without a respirator and was asking for cookies and hamburgers. We are all shocked and feel so blessed that she is alive and making such headway. The doctors are extremely positive, and we could not be more grateful for all the prayers and love that has been pointed in our direction. Tell your brother that Kaitlyn remembers the boyscouts and smiles. While she was still on the respirator she gave the boyscouts a thumbs-up and one of the few smiles I saw while the tubes were still in. Thank you to everyone out there who helped save my little sister's life. She is so precious to us, and we are unspeakably grateful she is still with us.
8/3/2008

[dandyj]

We picked up our backcountry permit from her the week before. I talked to her for a while, she was really nice. This is too bad.

[Alex]

Thanks for the update guys. Great to hear she is going to pull through!

[Alex]

We picked up our backcountry permit from her the week before. I talked to her for a while, she was really nice. This is too bad.

You never know which one of us is going to be next. Got to live the life though and live like there is no tomorrow :2thumbs:

[hank moon]

Hello all

The following kindly provided by Ray O'Neil at Zion NP:

I think that cards, flowers, or posts to the website that her friends
and family created would be appreciated and would help with her
recovery.

Kaitlyn Bohlin
c/o University Medical Center
TICU Room 802
1800 West Charleston Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89102

www.caringbridge.org/visit/KaitlynBohlin

[AnnaMalia]

Hi all,
I'm 'the friend' as well as one of the people now doing Kaityln's pr. We were together when this happened and I have been with her since. Her progress is amazing and she's expected to make a full recovery (though it will be a long recovery). For updates and info please go to www.caringbridge.org/visit/kaitlynbohlin
Also, feel free to leave a note in the guestbook, Kaitlyn has really appreciated them. Thanks all for your prayers and good wishes.
Peace,
AnnaMalia

[Jaxx]

Hi all,
I'm 'the friend' as well as one of the people now doing Kaityln's pr. We were together when this happened and I have been with her since. Her progress is amazing and she's expected to make a full recovery (though it will be a long recovery). For updates and info please go to www.caringbridge.org/visit/kaitlynbohlin
Also, feel free to leave a note in the guestbook, Kaitlyn has really appreciated them. Thanks all for your prayers and good wishes.
Peace,
AnnaMalia

Wow thanks for the info. I still can't believe that you could fall 100ft and live let alone a full recovery. Guardian Angels?

Can you shed some light on how she fell? Slip, wrong side of biner block, etc.

[Iceaxe]

Thanks for the update. :2thumbs:

[safira]

She tells the story in her own words on her page....

Kaitlyn Bohlin
c/o University Medical Center
Room 335
1800 W. Charleston Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89102

"The very last repel at Pine Creek is a hundred foot free hang repel that takes you into a sandy alcove. The rope that we happened to be using that day was a length required a single line repel, which I had completed successfully and felt confident about this time around. It was thus with minimal concern that I secured two safety devices and got on the line to repel down. But, the next thing I knew, I was on the ground incapable of moving like I had just woken up from a dream, in fact it felt like a nightmare. It took me several moments before I realized that this was reality, I had somehow fallen the entire 100 foot length of this repel with nothing to stop me."

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kaitlynbohlin

From what she is saying I am assuming that the block was on the wrong side of the ring, and she did that herself. She says it was a single rope. It sounds like there should have been someone with that group with far more experience. I am glad she is okay. She must have hit somewhere on the way down, which must have really hurt, but I am guessing it broke her fall and then she slid probably some on the wall. There is usually water at the bottom too, but she said sand. Must have been dry. Very lucky girl and it's wonderful how she is dealing with it.

[shaggy125]

It really is amazing that she is doing so well. I've been working in the Shock Trauma ICU a lot lately and I see so many tragic accidents of young people either getting killed or being left brain dead, paralyzed, etc... (WAY too many motorcycle accidents lately) It is awesome to see someone beat the odds and make a full recovery (which from the notes it sounds like she will). Awesome to hear, makes me wish even more they had sent her to SLC, we are needing a happy story for once (I'm assuming she was wearing a helmet, I'd guess she wouldn't be doing so well if she wasn't. Anyone that doesn't wear a helmet, come to the hospital and I'll show you what can happen when you hit your head... some things are worse than dying).

[rockgremlin]

Anyone that doesn't wear a helmet, come to the hospital and I'll show you what can happen when you hit your head... some things are worse than dying).


Let me guess - does it have something to do with pooping into a ziploc for the rest of your life?

[JP]

Let me guess - does it have something to do with pooping into a ziploc for the rest of your life?
And not being able to do anything for yourself, including eating.

[trackrunner]

She's in rehab now.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/KaitlynBohlin