*** Fatal Fall Teaching Rope Rescue Technique ***

Mon Sep 23 15:07:31 1996
Message : #1693311263
From: Hans Lehmann
Address : hlehmann@pacbell.net
Group   : Usenet.rec.climbing
Subject : Re: climbing accident near Redding, CA

Org.  : Encore Hollywood

Andrew Gale wrote:
>
> Today, (Monday, 23rd) the SD Union-Tribune had a picture of a climbing
> accident near Redding, CA with only a caption for the picture and no
> accompanying article. The caption read as follows:
>
> Rescue personnel carried a stretcher down rocks near Redding to remove
> the body of Travis Hull, 28, the director of the North American
> Wilderness Academy. Hull fell about 40 ft to his death Saturday while
> teaching teen-age students a rescue technique. Hull had more than 20
> years of climbing experience, his family said.
>
> The picture is looking down the cliff from the top and there is water
> a river?) at the bottom. Does anybody know where this happened and any
> other details?

There was short article in the Los Angeles Times this morning. I'm
writing this from memory, since I don't have the article in front of
me.  According to the article, Travis was demonstrating a backup anchor
& belay system. He was rapping off one rope, while backed up with
another anchor and rope. His demonstration consisted of cutting the
main rope. Unfortunately, the backup anchor failed, and he cratered. I
don't know any details about what the backup anchor consisted of, or
why it failed. Just goes to show that even with 20 years under your
belt, things can and do go wrong. Be careful.

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