At 3:45 p.m. on July 12, I (Ron Johnson) was notified of a request to assist an injured person in Hanging Canyon. The climber (first name “Frank”) stated that his partner, Loren Hall (33), was at their camp with an injured leg. Frank was descending Hanging Canyon to get help.

Hall had injured his leg around 10:15 a.m. while descending from a successful climb of the Jaw. They were sit-glissading on a snowfield just above Lake of the Crags when Hall’s lower leg became stuck between the snow and a rock. His leg twisted and he heard a “pop.” Hall was flown out, and after additional medical care and consultation with medical control he was transported to St. John’s Medical Center by private vehicle.

Analysis

I interviewed Frank at the Jenny Lake Rescue Cache. He stated that Hall and Frank did not have ice axes; however, the slope they were on wasn’t very steep and Hall’s speed was controlled when he injured his leg. It’s not clear if the use of an ice axe would have prevented this accident. They did a good job taking care of the injury and getting back to their campsite. It was a prudent decision to seek additional help. (Source: Ron Johnson, Incident Commander.)