Sierra Nevada, California: (2) Yosemite Valley. On 31 May 1947 Donald Boyd, a 14-year-old boy, was killed by a fall from Sunnyside Bench beneath upper Yosemite Falls. Another boy of the same age was with him. It was evening and getting dark. They had taken a seldom-used shortcut above fairly steep cliffs. They had no rope. Boyd slipped and slid to the edge of the Bench; but his fall was stopped by an oak tree and some wild grape vines, from which his companion could not extricate him. Their cries for help were heard by residents of Government Center, directly below. The Ranger’s office was notified, and a Ranger Patrol went to the base of the slope. It was ascertained that there were no injuries, and the boys were instructed to remain where they were until help could arrive. They acknowledged the instructions, but while the Rangers were preparing for the rescue, the second boy came down from the cliff in a semi-hysterical condition. Before his arrival, the Rangers had planned to reach Boyd by the conventional route to the Bench; but in order to hasten the rescue they made a direct ascent. Boyd was found at the base of the cliff in a critical condition. He had evidently fallen a second time a few minutes before he was found. He died in the hospital of skull and neck injuries.

Sources of information: National Park Service reports and newspaper accounts.

Analysis. Here is another case of an inexperienced person who did not know what to do when an accident occurred. It was late, and the boys felt obliged to continue even though it was getting dark. If they had been on an established trail, they probably would have had no difficulty. A good trail is usually safe, even in the dark. How to make people, especially the inexperienced, stay on established trails, is a difficult problem. Although it may seem that immediate rescue might have saved the boy’s life, the effort cannot be criticized. There has been considerable speculation as to whether he fell from the place where he had been left, or tried to rescue himself and fell in the attempt. A study of the locality indicates the latter to have been the case. That both boys failed to follow instructions given by those on hand to help, illustrates the need for speedy rescue operations. Injured persons cannot be relied upon to comply with such instructions.