FALL ON ICE, PLACED NO PROTECTION

British Columbia, Rocky Mountains, Mt. Assiniboine

On 1 August 1979, Edward Donn (39) and Vic Beresford (24) were descending Mt. Assiniboine at 930 hours after reaching the summit. Beresford easily crossed a six-foot- wide ice chute on footsteps cut by a previous party. Donn did not like the crossing, and tried unsuccessfully lower down. He returned and, after trying to step across and retreating, asked for a belay. As he was removing the climbing rope from his shoulders, he slipped and fell over the east face a distance of 800 feet and was killed immediately. (Sources: V. Beresford and T. Auger)

Analysis

Donn’s boots were light trail shoes with little sole; he had had difficulty with them earlier on Mt. Temple. Perhaps they contributed to his fall. (Sources: V. Beresford and T. Auger)