Running into other Canyoneers in trouble: How often does it happen?

[ag23]

My little circle of novice canyoneers have only done a couple of trips, but twice we've come across people in life threatening situations because they had absolutely no idea what they were getting into and no backup plans. Here are my two horror stories:

Last week we started Pine Creek just behind a couple. They said it was their first canyon and they would be slow, so they let us pass on their (climbing) rope. My brother was the last of us down and the wife came down just behind him. Luckily he was still in sight, since she didn't know how to swim or disconnect herself from the rope. And she couldn't hear very well, since she normally wore hearing aids but they weren't water proof. I immediately assumed the husband was after the life insurance money, but he ended up doing the canyon bare foot in a shortie after giving his shoes and water suit jacket to his hypothermic wife. We all did the canyon together on our ropes without too much trouble, and I was impressed by what a trooper the wife was, although she was terrified and freezing the whole time.

Last year my friends did Fat Man (I was in the subway so I missed the fun), and ended up spending the night with an injured canyoneer. Seven family+friends tried to do the canyon with one(!!!) harness, and some where near the start one of the teenage children took a fall and blew out her knee out. It seems like they were trying to down climbing one of the early rappels. Unable to walk, they had dragged/carried her back to near where the entrance/exit trails diverge, about three miles from the road. My friends found them just before dark. The group had no dry clothes, extra food, headlamps, a way to light a fire (this was late May and it was going down to 40 that night), or even water. They planned to fill up at the river, but since they didn't make to it, they had run out hours ago. Luckily my friends carry all of these things, were able to send one of the adults to hike out for help, and the helicopter arrived at dawn.

So granted we've only done the popular canyons that attract first-timers, but still, is this just bad luck on our part, or should we basically assume that one out of every two or three trips we'll find someone in serious trouble?

-Andre

[oldno7]

A wise canyoneer would always assume something could go wrong for their group as well as a chance encounter, and be prepared to deal with whatever circumstance.

The rest of the canyoneers just "hope" nothing happens on their trip as they have no idea how they will deal with adversity.

A good example of not being prepared for adversity might be the man and wife in Miners Hollow. He got to sit by and watch his wife perish from hypothermia, because that was all he was prepared for.

[Scott Card]

I have helped a bunch of folks out but nothing to this degree. Lucky you/your friend were in the right place at the right time.

[CarpeyBiggs]

and on the zion trade routes, the odds are just simply higher...

[ratagonia]

Yeah, happens a lot. Zion trade routes at popular times = increasing your chances. But perhaps you guyz have a special affinity for bumbling noobs... :ne_nau:

Tom :moses:

[ilipichicuma]

In all of my time canyoneering it's only happened once, but I haven't spent as much time in trade routes. I would agree with everyone else that you're much more likely to run into stuff like that in those kinds of canyons.

[deagol]

Wow, I'll never understand humans ....

We encountered a large group of (presumably) boy scouts with no thermal protection, and no gear in the Subway. They actualy did not get into trouble, I was suprised. Darn that water was cold.:cold:

[Don]

It happens. Seems like you gotta be more prepared for people around you than for yourself, especially in a popular canyon...

Those Harbor Freight Mother F!@#ers!
http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?35864-Bogleyfest-Friday-Englestead-The-Incident

[accadacca]

Canyonman can only be in ONE place at a time...or wait. :haha:

Full epic here: http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?52993-Search-on-for-Roy-woman-Oregon-man-missing-in-Zion-National-Park

[Iceaxe]

When I see some retards doing stupid crap in the canyon I beat feet outta there.... I figure I'm helping out the human race by doing my part to drain the shallow end of the gene pool.... YMMV...

:cool2:

[spinesnaper]

My canyoneering partner stopped me from saying anything to a family trying to drag a big boy Coleman car camping tent to the top of the West Rim Trail. To their credit they were already in that stretch by Refrigerator canyon. Did I do the right thing?:facepalm1:

[Canyonbug]

I was guiding in a canyon once and come across a college group at one of the rappels. They were already working their group through so I sat by and watched. They were passing three sets of gear (harness, helmet, rappel device) back up the rope once they were down (I didn't get an exact count due to some already being down). They had no thermal protection on while we were all decked out in wetsuits waiting our turn to rappel into the chamber. One person (leader) was tending the rappel and hooking people on ropes while another person (leader) was doing a back up body belay. One of the last few clients (rappellers) they had ended up dumping upside down when they wouldn't move their feet, but kept feeding rope. I got nervous, but they got through it all.

[Iceaxe]

I got nervous, but they got through it all.

God watches over children, drunks, and fools....

[jpratt11]

About ten years ago or so my brothers and I were hiking up the Narrows to the bottom of Orderville. We hiked maybe a mile or two up Orderville and found a guy. When we found him he was sitting with his leg in the water. When we approached he stated that he might need some help and we shouldn't go any further. We asked him what his situation was. He had been hiking alone down Orderville when he decided to jump off one of the last minor downclimbing obstacles. He landed in the water with no idea what he was jumping into. He told us he thought his leg might be broken. When he lifted it out of the water I saw the worse broken bone I've ever seen. His ankle just above the knobby bones (technical term) was snapped in half and displaced. It dangled as he lifted it out. He was clearly in shock as well. One of my brothers and my uncle stayed with him while me and my other brother ran down the narrows to inform the rangers. Rangers reached him at about 11PM that night. They did a 20 hour rescue the next day. They had to put him on a stretcher and pass him person to person most of the way down the narrows. That's the only time I've run into an issue.

I have a friend who's dad broke his ankle in the Subway though, and another friend who found someone with a broken leg in the Subway. True what everyone says about newbs in the well traveled routes. Back when I was a little younger and more stupid I used to do the Subway with no ropes and minimal gear. It's not crazy dangerous, but I would always carry a rope and some basics just in case. You never know who you will run into or what their needs will be.