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bbbeans
Trad climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 19, 2014 - 08:48am PT
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Does anyone have any information on this? A co-worker says they dropped a rescuer off near the base and then picked off someone in a litter. This was early-afternoonish on Tuesday.
We were up there climbing and were watched for quite a while by the copter and couldn't figure out exactly what was happening. They made several passes and spent at least 5 minutes of hovering right beside us. I was leading and having a helicopter hovering so close was a new experience and a bit unnerving.
My partner said they were pointing at us and I am curious to get more information.
Thank you!
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Roxy
Trad climber
CA Central Coast
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Jun 19, 2014 - 10:00am PT
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My partner said they were pointing at us and I am curious to get more information.
Were you guys off route? (jk)
Hope it was just training and nobody got hurt.
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bbbeans
Trad climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 19, 2014 - 10:13am PT
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I called the number for "Friends of Yosar" and the woman I spoke to seemed to confirm that it was an actual rescue and not training.
I certainly hope that no one was hurt.
One of my roommates said that YOSAR would fly around "just to check on climbers", which to me sounded a bit ridiculous. From what the lady at the Friends of Yosar # said, this is not actually the case and does not happen.
It was confusing because I didn't know if they were out there thinking about rescuing us. My initial thought was that someone had mistakenly told them that we were in trouble.
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whitemeat
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo, CA
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Jun 19, 2014 - 10:13am PT
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I talked to the dude at the bridge...
He was starting chernard herbert and fell, when his foot slipped in a mossy flaired crack, he fell like 35 feet to a ledge and hurt his ankles, then he did like 3 back flips down to the belay, and he stopped like 10 feet before a big drop off!
Thats what I herd anyway... He was on crutches with 1 leg in a splint and 1 leg in pain... he had some road rash and stuff but other then that fine..
He said they waited for like 30 minutes before calling YOSAR to see if he could get down by him self but he couldn't, so they made a little fire and chilled out waiting for YOSAR... YOSAR had to lower him down a little bit and that was an unforseen problem, so they did it kind of jangus like because they didn't bring the full on lowering tools with them. At least thats what he said... But they got him down and safe!
Tom Evans got a funny picture of the 2 bridge gimps (me with cast on right leg, and him with splint, both in crutches) which he should post!!!!!
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bbbeans
Trad climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 19, 2014 - 10:19am PT
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Wow, gnarly. Thank you for that!
Sounds like it could have been a lot worse. Do you know which pitch that happened on?
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Jun 19, 2014 - 10:28am PT
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Okay, I'll throw in $100 to get whitemeat an English/Spelling tutor.
Anyone else in?
edit: Just messing with you man. Thanks for the info.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Jun 19, 2014 - 10:48am PT
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I was leading and having a helicopter hovering so close was a new experience and a bit unnerving.
Something similar happened to me on the Powell-Reed a little over 40 years ago, except the helicopter was about 200 feet below me. Apparently they were looking for a party on the DNB.
John
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whitemeat
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo, CA
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Jun 19, 2014 - 01:45pm PT
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Johntp... haha, trust me dude, I am actually pretty good at spelling, If you were to see one of my job applications or a essay for school, way better thenn tis soopertopa speling!!!!! I would take $100 though!!
Pitch 1 is where he fell!
So glad that dude didn't get really hurt badly! he was pretty lucky!
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yosguns
climber
San Mateo, California
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Jun 19, 2014 - 04:54pm PT
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I think this was a Matt, from Oregon. Was in Yosemite for a few weeks. Did some notables during his stay. We met him on Daff on Saturday. Oddly, he knows a doctor who works at the hospital in Sonora where my partner works and my partner heard about it from her on Tuesday. Smaaaaaall world. Also testament to the fact that it's not a matter of whether you'll get hurt, just how bad it will be when it happens...
Glad nothing worse happened and hoping for his speedy recovery!
Allyson
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bbbeans
Trad climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 19, 2014 - 05:09pm PT
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Glad the guy was ok, whoever it was.
I am still curious why they were buzzing us if this guy fell on the first pitch and we were at least 600 feet above that.
Not enough info on his location? Curiosity? Training?
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WBraun
climber
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Jun 19, 2014 - 06:46pm PT
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What you were seeing is helicopter 551 was doing a power check and pre long line recovery recon.
They need to know the conditions before they actually do them at the recovery zone.
Flying close to cliffs is very dangerous without a recon flight first.
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WBraun
climber
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Jun 19, 2014 - 06:49pm PT
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There was helo recovery in the lower Yosemite falls amphitheater a few hours ago and it was really hairy being under that thing in that tight area.
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Jun 19, 2014 - 07:09pm PT
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Excellent report Meat . . . grammatical license and all.
Hope your ankle is healing fast.
Werner Bump.
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bbbeans
Trad climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 19, 2014 - 07:13pm PT
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Thank you Werner!
I was waiting for your response. I have no doubt flying a heli that close to a cliff is dangerous and have nothing but the utmost respect for those guys risking their lives like that.
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Jingy
climber
Somewhere out there
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Jun 19, 2014 - 07:25pm PT
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Not enough info on his location? Curiosity? Training?
 Could the pilot have been scouting beta for the route you were on?
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Mr Eb
Trad climber
California
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Jun 20, 2014 - 09:09am PT
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In case anyone knows how to contact the climbers from the June 17 2014 rescue from Sentinel Rock let me know. I was there in the meadow from 1:30pm to 4:30pm and got some pretty decent video of chopper take offs and when they brought him down in the basket. Here's a couple photos... b e 4 d at a t t dot net.
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overwatch
climber
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Jun 20, 2014 - 11:48am PT
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Disagree with the not if but when comment. There must be plenty of climbers who have made it through a career of climbing without serious injury
edit for possible perceived undue harshness;
Glad the accident victim is relatively ok
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Ottawa Doug
Social climber
Ottawa, Canada
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Jun 20, 2014 - 12:03pm PT
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Hey Werner,
Thanks for the info. Your posts are always insightful. Sounds like everyone is okay.
Cheers,
Doug
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Jun 20, 2014 - 12:44pm PT
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Disagree with the not if but when comment. There must be plenty of climbers who have made it through a career of climbing without serious injury
Yep. I've been climbing since '72. Plenty of serious committing routes. Lots of back country where rescue was not an option. Only significant injuries other than over use happened bouldering.
This is not meant as a criticism of the climbers involved in this accident. Plenty of times it could have been me, but it didn't happen for one reason or another. It's just the "not if but when" thing does not apply to a whole lot of good climbers.
Heal up well and get back after it.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Jun 20, 2014 - 01:04pm PT
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but yer still gonna die not if but when
"jangus, dude"
good report, w.m.!
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