Incident:The canyoneer rappelled off the end of his or her rope on the Great White Icicle and fell 300 feet, resulting in fatal injuries in Great White Icicle 2023/06/04
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Incident:The canyoneer rappelled off the end of his or her rope on the Great White Icicle and fell 300 feet, resulting in fatal injuries in Great White Icicle 2023/06/04 | |
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Date | 2023/06/04 |
Location | Great White Icicle |
Severity | Fatality |
Canyoneering-related | Yes |
SAR involvement | Yes |
Navigation problem | No |
Environmental problem | No |
Communication problem | No |
Planning problem | No |
Skills problem | No |
Body movement problem | No |
Rigging problem | Yes |
Rappel problem | Yes |
Insufficient gear | No |
Gear failure | No |
Summary
The canyoneer rappelled off the end of his or her rope on the Great White Icicle and fell 300 feet, resulting in fatal injuries. Search and rescue officials said the canyoneer was knowledgeable about the location of the next rappel station but for some reason passed it. The person's partner attempted to signal that the canyoneer had gone too far, but the warning was inaudible due to noise from the water. The partner reached the canyoneer and attempted to administer first aid. Search and rescue officials say the canyoneers opted not to put knots in the end of their ropes over worry that the ropes would get stuck and become impossible to retrieve in the water.