FALL ON ROCK, INADEQUATE BELAY/ANCHOR

British Columbia, Squamish, Stawamus Chief, Exasperater

D.G. (41) fell 30 meters to his death while rock climbing on the Stawamus Chief on May 31. D.G. was an experienced climber who was roped into a harness at the time of his plunge from the Chief. D.G. had been climbing with a group on a section of the Chief's Grand Wall, known as Exasperater (5.10c). He was at the midway belay, approximately 100 feet off the ground when a second party asked him to rig a toprope for them. He complied, but during rigging somehow fell to the base of the granite monolith.

Emergency services including B.C. Ambulance Service, Squamish Fire and Rescue, and Squamish Search and Rescue were called out to the scene at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Attempts to resuscitate D.G. were unsuccessful. Paramedics temporarily revived him, but he died at the scene from massive head and chest injuries. (Source: Jane Seyd, North Shore News)