On July 7, a male climber in his 20s fell to the ground while rappelling from a multi-pitch sport route called Addis Ababa (two pitches, 5.7). The climber and two partners had finished the route, and two of the three climbers had completed the rappels when they saw the third fall from near the first-pitch anchors to the ground.

The patient had open fractures in both legs and a head injury, among other injuries. Rescuers lowered him down low-angle terrain for about 100 feet, and then he was carried to Life Flight for a trip to a local hospital. (Source: Salt Lake County Search and Rescue.)

ANALYSIS

It’s not clear what caused the fall, but rescuers believe the climber loaded his ATC-style rappel device incorrectly. Weight-testing the rappel setup before unclipping from the anchor could have prevented a fall resulting in many serious injuries. (Source: The Editors)