FALLING ROCK—British Columbia, Moat Lake, Mt. Bastion. Dave Morris was leading Roman Babicki and Rene Torn up a small gully on Mt. Bastion at 10:30 a.m. on August 2 using two 11 mm ropes with a view to belaying both Babicki and Torn at the same time. Babicki was belaying Morris from a small depression in one wall of the gully and was tied in securely with a sling. A very large rock, which he probably dislodged, appears to have fallen on Morris. It pushed him down the gully and began to break up, and knocked Babicki from his belay stance. Babicki’s sling held, and he was able to hold and secure Morris on the two ropes about 20 feet below his belay, but burned his hand in doing so. Morris was lowered a further 10 feet to a ledge and secured. His chest was crushed and he had other injuries, and died about one hour later. (Source: Ron Matthews.)

Analysis: This kind of accident is difficult to avoid as mountains are continually eroding. There are many rocks that will fall at a touch, and we can only be exceedingly careful when we do so on a mountain. (Source: E. Whalley.)