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Arapiles accident Saturday 09/02/2008

Sweatypalms

10-Feb-2008
10:40:57 PM

Does anyone know the details of the Arapiles accident on Saturday 09/02/2008? I witnessed an evacuation of an injured person from somewhere in the area behind Castle Crag. An air-ambulance dropped in a medic and later appeared to attempt a pick-up before the person was stretchered out by SES and others. Hope the person is OK.

There seems to be a lot of accidents out there recently. When I was last there 4 weeks ago, there was a helicopter out at Mitre Rock and there was another accident at Mitre Rock 2 weeks ago too. I say climb safely, but just in case, join the ambulance and support the SES.


dimpet

10-Feb-2008
11:12:47 PM

A broken ankle apparently. Not sure of any details.

patto

10-Feb-2008
11:16:57 PM

Rumor around the pines that evening was the person had a broken ankle. Thats all I can bring to this thread at the moment.

Lets hope that is the only injuries that occured. However it did beg the question why a helicopter was called in the first place. It was said that the injury was halfay up the pharos however even so I'm surprised that the injured couldn't have been brought down a little earlier without the medic drop off. I suspect the winds were making it quite difficult for the helicoptor to hold position. It did quite a few passes before it managed to maintain a steady hover.

Still this is all speculation at the moment. Lets hope someone comes along with some facts.


dr_fil_good

11-Feb-2008
9:09:22 AM

bloody lot of accidents at the moment. are they all local climbers or foreigners ... perhaps there's a lot of grommets with racks who shouldn't have them? perhaps it's just foreigners looking for bolts to clip? maybe there's just more people climbing at the moment. uncool, whatever the reasons are.

Mr Milk

11-Feb-2008
9:54:22 AM

On 11/02/2008 dr_fil_good wrote:
>perhaps there's a lot of grommets with racks who shouldn't
>have them? perhaps it's just foreigners looking for bolts to clip?
>
>

hahaha! yes! it's those damn foreigners! if only they were smart and trad savvy like us 'aussies' things would be alright, but they just keep looking for bolts to clip like foreigners do! go back to bloody france eh?

any more stereotypes you wanna blame?

Cursive

11-Feb-2008
9:59:17 AM

On 11/02/2008 dr_fil_good wrote:
perhaps there's a lot of grommets with racks who shouldn't
have them?

Like me!

dalai

11-Feb-2008
10:00:33 AM

No, I think they are pretty well covered Mr Milk...

I hope for the injured sake it was a clean break (if it was an ankle) and that they will be up and about again soon!


wallwombat

11-Feb-2008
10:08:12 AM

It's pretty easy to break an ankle. I think even the most competent and experienced climbers can break an ankle with a bit of bad luck and a slip. Hope it's not too bad.

patto

11-Feb-2008
10:19:54 AM

Yeah I don't like the the number of accidents I have hearing of lately. Especially the frequency they seem to be happening at araps. Arapiles is a pretty safe place, the majority of the climbs have plenty of good gear. I suppose though the abundance of ankle breaking ledges on the same easy climbs that bumblies might balance things out.

Furthermore if it turns out to be true that this accident was only a broken ankle then it begs the question if a self rescue was possible. It seems to me there are leaders out there that know how to place gear, anchors and how to rap and think that is all you need to know about leading. How to retreat, escape belays, haul and rescue should at least be known. Afterall what does happen when a beginner leader falls on lead and breaks his/her ankle and the belayer is a novice? Its can be a difficult situation even for an experienced leader.

(That said fortunately I have had very little experience with rescue techniques. But at least I have thought about various issues and played the what-ifs in my head.)

Anyway despite my macabre curiosity about climbing accidents, I don't like seeing a chopper arrive at arraps with medics dropping out of the sky. Keep safe people.

kieranl

11-Feb-2008
11:30:02 AM

Accident was from Chinese Algebra. Apparently one or two pieces of gear pulled so he had a fairly long fall.
Report in Mail Times said it was a dislocated ankle. He was carried down by ARG and SES as the safer alternative to winching in the circumstances.

gfdonc

11-Feb-2008
12:56:28 PM

Hmm .. did the route last year, I could imagine that happening. Balancy moves up the initial wall with tricky-to-place wires and not-so-obvious holds. Not the crux but if you muck it up ..


DaCrux

11-Feb-2008
10:22:58 PM

People must be getting weak or something
When my partner broke his ankle - I told him it was probably just sprained and made him walk back to the pines.


Sabu

11-Feb-2008
10:52:52 PM

It does seem like a big waste to have a chopper around for a broken ankle.
Basic first aid teaches you how to make a simple splint which can get the person to a waiting car and to the hospital while knowing some rescue techniques can get the climber back to the deck.

On another note how many people are aware/ have signed the petition to get a Ambulance chopper based in the Wimmera district? A few locals were passing it around when we were up there in late january.


Rich

11-Feb-2008
11:01:02 PM

On 11/02/2008 Sabu wrote:

>On another note how many people are aware/ have signed the petition to
>get a Ambulance chopper based in the Wimmera district? A few locals were
>passing it around when we were up there in late january.

Wasn't aware of its existence.. I don't suppose someone involved could get an online one going?


IdratherbeclimbingM9

12-Feb-2008
9:27:14 AM

On 11/02/2008 DaCrux wrote:
>People must be getting weak or something
>When my partner broke his ankle - I told him it was probably just sprained
>and made him walk back to the pines.

Your right DaCrux.

Back in '97 I had commenced abseiling into the Buffalo Gorge to do Ozy with my climbing partner when I saw him wincing as he was putting his climbing shoe on. Conversation ensues ...
"What's up bro".
"Ah nothing much, fell off a climb at Frog last week and my ankles still sore".
"Your sure? Hanging around in etts for hours could be a pain on the 1st day let alone the third"!
"Yeah, your right. Maybe we could postpone this trip till I get it checked out".
~> He later got it checked, and found it was broken!

We had travelled down from central west NSW to do the climb, so in the meantime in order to not waste the trip, we did a reconnaissance of the south side track to base of Ozy and did some freeclimbing at Dreamworld. He strapped his ankle inside heavy boots for the reccy, and we chose Dreamworld for it's short routes due the pain wasn't going away!

My (then), climbing partner is a hard man. By comparison I am
>weak
... as the nearest I have gotten to that degree of neglect (of pain), was lasting till the afternoon after breaking a bone in my foot during the morning of an early surf session. After about five hours and a couple of beers while playing billiards at the local RSL my foot started swelling too much to ignore any longer.
I got the
>or something
... full value part for my pain effort at week five of the healing process when I slipped on my crutches negotiating stairs and in the ensueing fall re-broke my foot again for another 6 weeks of fun.

Back on topic.
Best wishes for a quick recovery to whoever had the accident.


Eduardo Slabofvic

12-Feb-2008
9:53:15 AM

On 11/02/2008 Rich wrote:
> I don't suppose someone involved could get an online one going?

Before we start petitioning people to get a chopper based in the Wimmera, shouldn’t we first decide on
what the health care and community safety priorities are for the community then spend money on the
highest priorities first.


IdratherbeclimbingM9

12-Feb-2008
10:02:33 AM

Didn't the Vic gov just axe (about a week ago), a chopper service (based down Warnambool way?), which allegedly also serviced the Grampians area?

Based on that premise I think the petition is up against it, so you needn't worry too much Ed.S.


belayslave

12-Feb-2008
10:12:20 AM

On 11/02/2008 Sabu wrote:
>It does seem like a big waste to have a chopper around for a broken ankle.
>
>Basic first aid teaches you how to make a simple splint which can get
>the person to a waiting car and to the hospital while knowing some rescue
>techniques can get the climber back to the deck.

I'm glad you brought that up, i was thinking the same things. Although i don't know all the
circumstances and, the action that was taken could well have been the most appropriate at the time. I
would think in general, and know that i ensure this of all my climbing partners, that they're able to help
me in a time of need with both rescue and first aid matters. Likewise me to them. Common sense in
this game of risk.

dalai

12-Feb-2008
10:23:37 AM

Since details haven't been confirmed, it may be premature to criticize the calling of the helicopter...

kieranl

12-Feb-2008
10:31:42 AM

On 12/02/2008 Eduardo Slabofvic wrote:
>Before we start petitioning people to get a chopper based in the Wimmera,
>shouldn’t we first decide on
>what the health care and community safety priorities are for the community
>then spend money on the
>highest priorities first.
Eduardo is quite right. Estimated cost of maintaining a rescue chopper in Western Vic is about $10 million per year. Given that:
1. Any western Vic chopper is likely to be located near Warrnambool rather than Horsham and
2. I am not aware of any major incident at Arapiles over the last few years where a helicopter was not available if needed.
You would have to think that the money could be better spent.
A helicopter is just a transport option. We could spend $10 million a year but there's no guarantee that it will be available when it's really needed. If there's a rescue at sea off Warrnambool and a climber with head injuries at Arapiles were's the chopper going to be?
Maybe you could spend a couple of hundred thou training the paramedics in the region so that they are qualified to be lowered to a patient on a cliff-face? We have been really lucky in the past that many paramedicas have been prepared to go to spots that they shouldn't.

There are 43 messages in this topic.