Hiker falls from Hawksbill Crag

[Sparky]

I was listening to KY 3 this morning and heard a hiker fell from Hawksbill Crag (Whitaker Point) yesterday and was killed. I believe they said a 26 year old male native of NW Arkansas. Didn't get the whole story as I was shaving and listening. Of the foolish things I've seen take place there over the years, I'm not surprised. Anybody know if this is the 1st accident of this kind there? Sure seems like there have been alot of accidents involving hikers this year. Be careful out there.

Brent

[Barrett]

a little more info.

http://www.thekansan.com/news/state/x10 ... g-accident" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Very sad. It does seem like we have had an inordinate number of tragic accidents this year.

Another google search resulted in much more information here.

http://jockpost.com/ksu-qb-dylan-meier- ... -accident/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Barrett]

I didn't realize at the time of my first post that the information on the 2nd link above was pulled from Tim Ernst's blog.

http://timernst.com/currentjournal.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[GutIt]

Sparky,

I was out with some friends of mine weekend last. One of them is an MD. They were there one day when some college students were rapelling. One of them got a glove caught in the "brake" of the rig (rear 'biner) and was dangling. Caught and dangling but laughing. This person then yanked the glove out from the foul and proceeded to freefall around 40'. No one on belay.

Multiple broken bones including spine and an eight hour extraction. Thank god these guys were there because friends wanted to foist the victim up and try to climb out. Might have been a recovery instead of a rescue had they done so.

The chopper generally lands on Tim's place for this. He showed up and told them that he always knows someone has fallen when he hears the chopper.

Video was rolling the entire time. They reviewed it to determine what had happened. They said it was the hardest thing they had ever had to see.

I mentioned the latest fatality to my Lovely & Charming because I heard that same newscast this morning.

It is a sad thing.

[Fish]

"fell... while trying to get a better view"

The amazing thing to me is not when someone falls and is killed, but that this doesn't happen a lot more often. I've seen a plenty of dangerous activity at Hawksbill from people "trying to get a better view" or just messing around near the edge.

Probability of accident (low) x Consequences of accident (extremely high) = very bad idea

- Fish

[GutIt]

Probability of accident (low) x Consequences of accident (extremely high) = very bad idea

- Fish

Well said, Fish.

Maybe something to keep in mind while you are sitting on the fence scouting that rapid.

[playboat Junkie]

A former quarterback at Kansas State University died after falling from a well-known bluff south of Boxley in Newton County. Dylan Meier of Pittsburg, Kan., was at Whitaker Point, also known as Hawksbill Crag, off Cave Mountain Road in the Upper Buffalo Wilderness Area of the Buffalo National River.

Emergency responders say the 26-year-old man was hiking with his family when he slipped over the edge on Monday afternoon.

[gnick4]

Prayers for his family.

[mohawklady]

I read Tims journal yesterday afternoon when this first happened. Jonathan knew about it as he was talking to ranger at Tylers bend when he got the emergency call regarding the hiker....Please note that he DID NOT fall off of hawsbill, he was 1/2 mile from the point when he fell. He had climbed up onto a stack of rocks and when he tried to climb back down he fell. Check Tims journal at cloudland.net for more information he added today....Pam

[TBC]

So sad.. I could not imagine being there seeing him slip. My thoughts and prayers for him and his family. R.I.P.