On February 23, John Scott, 66, died when he was struck in the head by a falling rock while belaying. Scott had just lowered his partner from a sport climb called Projectiles (5.7) at the Lost Wall when a large rock (described as two feet in diameter) fell approximately 55 feet from the top of the cliff and hit Scott at the base of the route. He died at the scene. (Source: Mountain Project and news reports.)

Analysis

John Scott was an experienced climber. The rope was running through a bolted anchor at the lip of the cliff, and it is not known what caused the block of volcanic tuff to fall. Scott’s partner yelled "Rock!" but Scott was unable to avoid the impact. Given the size of the falling block, a helmet could not prevent serious injury. (Source: The Editors.)