Canyoneering death in the Subway

[Byron]

I'll bet it was hypothermia that got him. If his friend didn't get a call in until nearly noon, he must have followed the creek all the way to the road? He missed the Right Fork exit, too...easy to do in the dark, I guess.

I wouldn't have left. I would have stayed there all night with him. But then again, I'm a really good climber and I would have figured a way to get him off of that thing. He had a knife? They panicked or just made a bad decision, perhaps figuring help would be available in a short time...Jeez, that's tough.

I always carry my little 15M hand line, wherever I go. That might have saved the day.

[jman]

"...Park officials say this is the first death in the Subway in recent years, though rescues are frequent."

I have heard that there have been other fatalities here, but can someone provide any details on the previous one(s)? Just curious. Thanks.

[Iceaxe]

That log is no longer there. I will post a picture later.

Unless the log was washed out in the past week it is still there. The original log washed out earlier this year and bootie replaced it with anther.

The Subway video I posted last week shows the new log. But in the video my family is shown walking across the log to reach the bolted anchors. The video also shows the waterfall as we swam back to the waterfall room, but that is hard to see as it is so dark.

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[Scott P]

I have heard that there have been other fatalities here, but can someone provide any details on the previous one(s)? Just curious. Thanks

The only one I can think of is when a tree that someone was rapping off pulled out of the ground. I think it was in Russell Gulch rather than the Subway though?

[Iceaxe]

I have heard that there have been other fatalities here, but can someone provide any details on the previous one(s)? Just curious. Thanks.

About 15 years ago a guy died when his rappel anchor failed. The anchor was a small bush that pulled out of the ground. I have the NPS morning report on that accident, but its on my computer and I'm out of the office today.

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[ratagonia]

About 15 years ago a guy died when his rappel anchor failed. The anchor was a small bush that pulled out of the ground. I have the NPS morning report on that accident, but its on my computer and I'm out of the office today.

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1992.

http://www.canyoneeringusa.com/history/mr1992.htm

Tom

[jman]

Thanks Tom and Shane.

That's too bad for David Bryant as well... :(

It's interesting in that SAR to see that Bryant "still had a pulse at the time, doctors soon pronounced him dead". I wonder if today's technology could of saved the guy. Anyways...back to topic...

[Iceaxe]

Dang, anybody have a pic of this spot?

The accident happened at the 3:00 mark of the video. We walked across the logs to reach the bolted anchors. If you look close you can see the sling on the log that they probably rappeled from.

The 3:25 mark of the video is the waterfall from below. This is where he would have ended up hanging. The video doesn't show it very well but there is a pretty good flow of water at this point.

[Iceaxe]

Man dies after hanging by foot overnight in Zion slot canyon
Subway excursion tragedy

[blueeyes]

Unless the log was washed out in the past week it is still there. The original log washed out earlier this year and bootie replaced it with anther.

The Subway video I posted last week shows the new log. But in the video my family is shown walking across the log to reach the bolted anchors. The video also shows the waterfall as we swam back to the waterfall room, but that is hard to see as it is so dark.

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I see. Yeah last time we were in there was the first of Aug and the log was gone. Also I was thinking of the log that was slightly outside of the waterfall room.

[Kuya]

OH My! This is so sad. Things like this really make me ponder on how I do things and manage groups in canyons.

[reverse_dyno]

From a rock climber’s perspective if your belay device gets jammed, you would rig a prussic ascending system and unweight the rappel device. Once it is unweighted you can normally free the obstruction. If you cannot free the device, you can use the ascending system to descend the rope.

If you are doing the standard two strand rappel, the new problem is getting your rope back since the rappel device has effectively locked the two strands together.

You only ever cut the rope in an emergency situation. When you rock climb the rope is your life line.

[price1869]

Is this the spot?


Granted, that picture is from 2005, and I haven't been back through subways since, but the if i remember correctly, the anchors are just down and to the side of that, and it's easily down climbable.

[mzamp]

Very Sad!
I would never pass jusgement on anyone without first hand knowledge of the incident, but if there is a lesson-learned to be had here I would certainly like to know. Learning is a continuous process...

- I do not see how the log had any play in the accident.



"The partner went for help, but was unfamiliar with the exit route and was caught by darkness."
- This is often my worry. As the most experience person in my set of canyoneering friends I am often the one most at risk. On questionable anchors I will back it up with a deadman or if there isn't an anchor I will be the downclimber (last man at risk). I have been teaching them navigation skills and encourage them to participate, but I have been doing it for so long everyone gets lazy and relies on my skills.

[dinzy]

Very sad indeed. Under the realm of learning from these accidents, another very quick and easy method for freeing a stuck rappel device (be it stuck with an autoblock or long hair), is to simply bend one leg so your knee is in your chest, then reach down and wrap the rope around the foot of your bent leg about three times and then stand up on that leg. That usually releases enough tension from the rope to clear the stuck device.

[erial]

update to story

Man, 74, dies after hanging by foot overnight in Zion NP canyon Subway excursion tragedy

[Steevo]

Wow, 74. As a physician, I would caution even my healthiest 70 year old patients about this sport. I gotta give the guy props for simply being our there at that age. I hope he is remembered well and passed doing the adventuresome things he loved.

[Brian in SLC]

Oh, what an awful situation.

So sorry this happened.

I'm sure there's plenty of potential lessons to be learned here, but...how sad.

Pretty grim stuff...my condolences to friends and family.

[Deathcricket]

74!!!!!!

I hope I'm still out rocking canyons at that age.

[m cabourne]

Some more information http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/m...9#.UFukMBjlGHl Sad news indeed. Condolences to his family and friends.