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Accident at Camels Hump


Miguel75

12-Oct-2013
7:10:22 PM

There was an accident at Camels Hump this afternoon. A young lady fell approx 4m from the ledge below Wee Ripper. It seems the young lady involved walked out under her own steam so hopefully all is good.

BigChris, any further updates?

SBW

12-Oct-2013
7:17:36 PM

She fell off around the start of Wee Ripper going for a drink. Fell about 5m into the crack and was wedged in about 6m from the ground.

She walked out after an assisted abseil, with some facial injuries. She was wearing a helmet which probably made all the difference


Miguel75

12-Oct-2013
7:35:23 PM

Thanks Steve. 'twas a fun day chasing kids, and climbing:)


ChuckNorris

13-Oct-2013
6:32:23 AM

Hope you don't mind but as we were driving home sudeep asked "why is it that Australians are always talking about farting?" I didn't really know what to say but ended up telling him that you guys were all special needs so weren't really representative.

The depressing thing yesterday was that sudeep was using my harness from the mid 90's and even though he's a small fit chap the waist belt was too small for him. Not sure whether I should be thinking 'geez I used to be skinny' or 'geez I've become fat'. Either way depressing.


bigchris

13-Oct-2013
12:06:13 PM

I was climbing Witch at the time, and from what I understand, She fell of the block at the base of Black Magic, and kinda fell to the right and then down the crack all the way to the bottom.

Heard people screaming, which we ignored at first, because anyone who climbs with me knows that I squeal like a little bitch when I'm pumped and freaking out, but then saw all of these uni students running down the hill and I asked them if I needed to jokingly call an ambulance and they all yelled out to do so.

From the looks of things, she'd smashed her teeth out, broken her nose and was bleeding quite a bit. She wasn't climbing at the time, but had her harness and helmet on, so lucky for her, otherwise she may have ended up horrendously injured (or dead). She's also lucky that she didn't fall of the back of where she was standing. It would have been a long, long way to the ground otherwise.

Below is a photo of the rescue.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d52/Big-chris/IMG_1987.jpg

dalai

13-Oct-2013
3:21:34 PM

The photo by bigchris

climberman

13-Oct-2013
4:47:30 PM

not knowing the area, is the lesson to be on belay when on a ledge ?

Crispy99

13-Oct-2013
5:45:08 PM

Hi all... It was me who fell! And I realise I am lucky to be typing this message. Got taken to the royal Melbourne, broken nose confirmed, a few smashed teeth but apart from that I am unscathed. I just want to thank all who were involved in getting me down from the cliff, and all the medical staff, everyone was incredible. So thanks! And let that be a lesson to everyone in why its so important to wear a helmet, not necessarily just when climbing. I gave my head a good knock but the helmet saved my skull, I'm a very lucky girl! X

Dr Nick

13-Oct-2013
5:59:37 PM

On 13/10/2013 Crispy99 wrote:
>Hi all... It was me who fell! And I realise I am lucky to be typing this
>message. Got taken to the royal Melbourne, broken nose confirmed, a few
>smashed teeth but apart from that I am unscathed. I just want to thank
>all who were involved in getting me down from the cliff, and all the medical
>staff, everyone was incredible. So thanks! And let that be a lesson to
>everyone in why its so important to wear a helmet, not necessarily just
>when climbing. I gave my head a good knock but the helmet saved my skull,
>I'm a very lucky girl! X

Glad you're mostly OK, but it sounds to me like the real lesson is to tie in at height.


Miguel75

13-Oct-2013
6:36:44 PM

Glad you're ok Sarah, if you're up to it would you describe what the lead up to the accident was?

SBW

13-Oct-2013
6:59:37 PM

Glad your ok Sarah. I have been wondering how you were.

dalai

13-Oct-2013
7:37:00 PM

Glad you are okay Crispy99, but disagree with the following...

On 13/10/2013 Crispy99 wrote:
>And let that be a lesson to everyone in why its so important to wear a helmet, not necessarily >just when climbing.

Having walked numerous time over the years unscathed where you fell, the greatest lesson would be to be extra careful in a cliff environment and you won't need to test a helmet...

joe 100

14-Oct-2013
6:24:37 AM

Dalai, I have to comment and say that i think youve missed the point of the lesson of crispy99, the significance isnt the crag or how many times anyone has walked over it, the significance is that accidents occur, through fault or otherwise.

Object dangers exist throughout all mediums of climbing and someone pulling off a stone at the top of the route cannot be controlled by how well a person walks at the bottom of it, for example.

The lesson is how to reduce injury through the accidents and inherent danger seen in and throughout climbing. No one ever plans to test a helmet, but i can testify that ive been bloody glad ive had one on, even when i havent been climbing. Im surprised anyone would undermine the lessons learnt in wearing a helmet, especially in the climbing community.

egosan

14-Oct-2013
8:44:56 AM

Well said, Joe. People do get stroppy when you try to take away their talisman against fear and danger.

"That wouldn't have happened to me, because I am [pick one from the list below]."

more careful
more experienced
less dumb
stronger
carry a prussic
I only clip bolts

All the vale threads here on chocky testify to the thinness of that protection.

kieranl

14-Oct-2013
8:59:15 AM

Agreed Egosan, the takeaway is that being around cliffs is dangerous.
Be alert. 3 people have died unroped at Arapiles (as distinct from soloing) and off the top of my head I can think of 3 others seriously injured in the same way in recent years.
If you take a helmet to the cliff, put it on when you get there and leave it on until you leave - it does you no good in the pack.
These things will help but you're in a climbing environment and things happen to the best people.


ajfclark

14-Oct-2013
9:57:35 AM

On 14/10/2013 kieranl wrote:
>If you take a helmet to the cliff, put it on when you get there and leave it on until you leave - it does you no good in the pack.

There's nothing quite like looking wistfully at the helmet sitting on top of your pack a few metres away while your leader dislodges an array of choss above you...


Miguel75

14-Oct-2013
10:20:19 AM

On 13/10/2013 dalai wrote:
>...SNIP... The greatest lesson would be to be extra careful in a cliff environment and
>you won't need to test a helmet...

As Stugang alluded to in an earlier post I (and select partners) may fall into the 'special needs' climbing spectrum and we probably should wear a helmet every minute of every day;)

I understand where dalai's coming from (and don't think he's advocating not wearing a helmet); while wearing a helmet is a personal choice, it is optimal. Helmeted or not, being extra careful anywhere near the crag is an imperative.

I'd still like to know what the cause of the fall was: a slip, an act of god, interpretive dance gone wrong...

Edited for clarity.

kieranl

14-Oct-2013
10:38:54 AM

On 14/10/2013 Miguel75 wrote:
>On 13/10/2013 dalai wrote:
>>...SNIP... The greatest lesson would be to be extra careful in a cliff
>environment and
>>you won't need to test a helmet...
>

>I understand where dalai's coming from (and don't think he's advocating
>not wearing a helmet);
It reads to me as if that's exactly what he's advocating.


Miguel75

14-Oct-2013
10:45:29 AM

dalai

14-Oct-2013
10:52:40 AM

On 14/10/2013 kieranl wrote:
>On 14/10/2013 Miguel75 wrote:
>>On 13/10/2013 dalai wrote:
>>>...SNIP... The greatest lesson would be to be extra careful in a cliff
>>environment and
>>>you won't need to test a helmet...
>>
>
>>I understand where dalai's coming from (and don't think he's advocating
>>not wearing a helmet);
>It reads to me as if that's exactly what he's advocating.

No issues if people want to wear a helmet or not, my view is just to be extra careful around cliffs!

It appears Crispy99 was extremely fortunate she fell into the crack. If she didn't chances are helmet or not she may not have replied yesterday... We can't rely on equipment like helmets to protect us, rather we need to remain vigilant at all times!

I would suggest many of the accidents Kieran refers to above were due to letting ones guard down after getting off the climb proper.

There are 39 messages in this topic.