Kolob death in feb 92

[moab mark]

Does anyone know anything about a death in kolob in 92? Tree that was being used as a anchor pulled out and fell about 25 ft. His last name was Bryant he was in his 30's. Worked for the Attorney Generals office.
It was a relative of my buddies and now he has taken up canyoneering with me. He is a little nervous everytime I make him use a sage brush for an anchor. He is just trying to find out if anyone has more details, where etc.
Thanks
Mark

[Iceaxe]

Sure it was Kolob. Sounds more like a death that occured in the Subway (Russell Gulch).

[Iceaxe]

Found it.... Here is the NPS Morning report

92-555 Zion (Utah) SAR; Fatality

At 3:15 p.m. on October 10th, David Bryant, 32, of Salt Lake City, fell about 30 feet and suffered major injuries while attempting to rappel into the canyon of the left fork of North Creek near the park's western boundary. Bryant and two companions had tied their rope off on a small pinion pine near the canyon rim. His companions rappelled down safely; the 220-pound Bryant slipped when he attempted to descend, however, and the subsequent shock to the line pulled the tree out. Bryant fell backwards and landed on rock. Among the dozen or so other people at the location at that time was a doctor. He determined that Bryant had a pulse but that he was not breathing. Because Bryant's airway was swollen, the doctor fashioned an airway out of the handle of a plastic milk jug, intubated him, and began ventilations. Meanwhile, a member of the party hiked out for help. Upon reaching the trailhead, he found a locked ranger vehicle. Since the ranger did not reappear (he was on foot patrol), the man broke the vehicle's window and used the park radio to call for help. The park received the call at 4:45 p.m. and immediately requested helicopters from Grand Canyon and Nellis AFB. The Nellis helicopter, which carried a paramedic, arrived at Hurricane at 6:30 p.m., and was on scene 15 minutes later. According to the park's chief ranger, the canyon posed one of the most difficult rescue problems he'd seen in 29 years - a slot canyon about 20 feet wide with 150-foot vertical walls. Nonetheless, the Air Force paramedic was successfully lowered to the scene, and he began working with the doctor to prepare Bryant for evacuation. At the same time, a team of two Grand Canyon and one Zion park medics began hiking in from the trailhead. By the time all was ready for the extrication at 7:50 p.m., night had fallen, and all subsequent operations were conducted by the helicopter crew while employing night vision goggles. Bryant was hoisted out and arrived at a hospital in St. George at 8:30 p.m. Although he still had a pulse at the time, doctors soon pronounced him dead. [Larry Van Slyke, CR, ZION, 10/11]

Thanks to Tom for coping these back when you could search the NPS Morning Report http://www.canyoneeringusa.com/history/mr1992.htm

[moab mark]

Thanks Shane and Tom well done. I just talked to my buddy and I guess he was in st george at a convention and was getting ready to go home. Some guys at the convention said they were going to go to zion hiking and did he want to tag along.
I took my buddy down subway last fall for his first trip and we looked into Russels Gulch up at the top on our way down, small world.
Someone this morning told me they do not like to rappel because that is where all the death's occur. After reading the report it sure seems pretty simple for something to go wrong.
Thanks
Mark

[ratagonia]

Thanks Shane and Tom well done. I just talked to my buddy and I guess he was in st george at a convention and was getting ready to go home. Some guys at the convention said they were going to go to zion hiking and did he want to tag along.
I took my buddy down subway last fall for his first trip and we looked into Russels Gulch up at the top on our way down, small world.
Someone this morning told me they do not like to rappel because that is where all the death's occur. After reading the report it sure seems pretty simple for something to go wrong.
Thanks
Mark

Please Note: they were doing the regular, hike-in route, NOT Russell Gulch. They failed to find the trail and gully down in, so they chose a small tree to rap in off. Too small.

Moral of the story: if you are supposed to be doing a walk-in, find a non-technical way in, such as the trail. If you lose the trail, go back and find it again, OK?

This has been a popular way of finding misadventure in The Subway.

Tom

[trackrunner]

Moral of the story: if you are supposed to be doing a walk-in, find a non-technical way in, such as the trail. If you lose the trail, go back and find it again, OK?

Tom

A big QFE

When I did the subway for the first time I followed the trail and came to a sketchy poor off. Rememberd this advice from Tom and hiked back to the trail and found the correct way into the Left Fork.