Fall on Rock, Inexperience, Failure of Piton, Inadequate Belay, No Hard Hat, Wisconsin, Devil's Lake State Park

Publication Year: 1982.

FALL ON ROCK, INEXPERIENCE, FAILURE OF PITON, INADEQUATE BELAY, NO HARD HAT Wisconsin, Devil’s Lake State Park

On June 30, 1981, Tom Tabbert (20) fell from a route between Moldy Buttress and D’Arcy’s Buttress, sustaining injuries to his left ring finger, lower back, and head. He said he fell because one of his “pins” had popped loose. An EMT on the scene stated that both climbers were new to the sport and that their climbing rope was wrapped around a tree and the belayer’s waist when the fall occurred. The rope slipped up the tree and thus up to the belayer’s armpits; after this the belayer let go. (Source: Terry Tyler, Devil’s Lake State Park)