[pct-l] Rope for spring stream crossings-hiker death

[Ken Murray]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken Murray" <kmurray at pol.net>
To: "pct-l" <pct-l at edisonlake.com>
Sent: Friday, April 1, 2011 6:26:27 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Re: Rope for spring stream crossings-hiker death


http://www.climber.org/TripReports/2004/1432.html
(with pictures of the hiker on stream minutes before death, and in depth description of the accident)

 "He HAD his pack unbuckled. "

"He violated another rule and went back to the same place to try to cross again. Now my memories become less clear as things started happening fast. I think that he only made it halfway across this second time. He fell down, was washed the 10 meters back to near where I was, got a grip on the river bed while on his hands and knees. He was only there for seconds and then he was carried downstream again. I remember him looking very surprised. He was only carried 10 meters when he started tumbling head over heals backwards."

"I hurried downstream as fast as I could watching for him - hoping he was clinging to a rock. After 1/2 km-it must have taken me 10 minutes to get there, I saw his pack, praying that he wasn't with it. I was near panic now. I recall ignoring rapids and stepping in chest deep holes in the stream to reach him. 

I found him in about six inches of water. The current had stripped off most of his clothes. He still had one arm through his pack strap! I don't specifically have a memory of his face in the water, but it must have been as I wanted to get him out of the water. I grabbed his arm and started pulling him toward shallow water. But with the pack still attached, the current pulled him out of my grasp and he was going downstream again. I decided that I couldn't get him out of the water by myself. Later I calculated that his pack could weight 200 pounds filled with water, and he was 6 foot tall and so almost 200 pounds. I couldn't do anything with 300-400 pounds in the water. Couldn't even roll him over because of his pack........"

" Del had always carried his boots tied together over his neck when we were wearing our water sandals. The boots were twisted about his neck. My knife was in my pack 1/2 km upstream. Ian cut the boots off. "

 
==================
 
"Analysis of Accident: What knowledge and techniques will help prevent future accidents? 
Before stepping into the water: practice several times: pretend that I am falling in the water and discard my pack. 

When someone falls in the stream, shout: drop your pack. 

Don't hurry in the wilderness; patience, think! 

Follow the known rules for stream crossing. 

Don't carry your boots around your neck. 

Look for crossings away from a long rapids. 


Additional Comments: 
Del was an intelligent, experienced backpacker in excellent condition. Impatience and not discarding his pack caused his death. Icy water should have helped the CPR to revive him. I suspect he also had a concussion and/or broken neck."