California, Yosemite (2)—On June 28, 1956 Larry Hawley (19), an employee of the National Park Service, suffered a broken neck, shoulder, ribs, and collar bone when he fell while descending a chimney about one mile west of Taft Point. He and Mark Powell, both members of the Sierra Club, were going down a chimney about a thousand feet from the top of the cliff when Hawley fell about 10-15 feet to a ledge. It is not known definitely but apparently a rock was loosened and dislodged and either hit Hawley or caused him to loose his hand- or foothold and fall down the chimney. Ropes were not being used at the time. A ranger rescue crew took 9 hours to remove this severely injured man from the cliff.

Source: John C. Preston, Superintendent, Yosemite National Park.