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.

[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.

[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....

[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....

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

[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...EWS01/80731009

[Scott Card]

Story from the St. George Spectrum:

http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs...EWS01/80731009

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. 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.