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Date of Incident

22/06/2019

Country

England

Activity

Trad rock climbing

When

Descending

Injury

Serious injury requiring medical treatment

Incident

I arrived at the crag and saw a team on Great Western, the second was unable to follow the route. Shortly after this I had a large crash and screams, the lead climber had abseiled to remove his protection the second could not recover do to failing to follow.

The casualty feel roughly 30 feet onto a large boulder and then a further 7 feet on to the ground, he was wearing a helmet which clearly saved him from serious head injuries.

The casualty appeared to have a broken arm, wrist, leg, back and possible internal injuries. Working with some other visitors to the crag we provided first aid and I contact the air ambulance for emergency treatment and evacuation.

Discussion the situation with his second it appears a back up piece of gear for his abseil was removed leaving a single cam in a pocket, which swing into to get the gear this failed.

Lessons

Clear communication on what protection is being used for the abseil and ensuring this remains in place whilst required

Causes

Abseil or rappel failure or error

Anonymous?

No

Reported By

Rescuer

Wearing Helmets?

Yes

Rescue Services Involved?

Yorkshire Great Air Ambulance and Yorkshire Ambulance

Author

Ian Brown

30 July 2019 at 11:44:38

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All reports are self-submitted and have not been edited by the BMC in any way, so please keep an open mind regarding the lessons and causes of each incident or near-miss. 

If you have a concern regarding this report please contact us at incidentreports@thebmc.co.uk

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