FALL ON ROCK, PARTY SEPARATED, EXCEEDING ABILITIES

Colorado, Quandry Mountain

On September 6, two climbers, a woman named Sunny (40) and her companion, a man (42), were ascending the Class 4 West Ridge on Quandry Mountain when Sunny slipped on loose rock and fell 300 feet down a couloir. The victim was attended to by nearby medical personnel. SAR personnel arrived with a paramedic. The victim was removed by helicopter to hospital, but expired the next morning.

Analysis

The victim’s companion said that she had hiked very quickly ahead of him, around a gendarme. He heard a cry, then saw her cartwheel down the couloir. (Source: Summit County Rescue Group)