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couchmaster
climber
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Apr 25, 2007 - 11:29pm PT
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Since the link will soon not work, the full text says:
"Oakland woman falls off Half Dome cables; dies
By David Richards
(Updated Monday, April 23, 2007, 3:36 PM)
The body of an Oakland woman was recovered by Yosemite National Park officials over the weekend, park spokesperson Scott Gediman said.
Rangers estimate the woman, Jeannie Bettles, 43, fell between 800 to 1,000 feet off the side of Half Dome in Yosemite Thursday afternoon.
Gediman said a group of three witnesses who were near the area saw the woman on the cables of Half Dome and reportedly asked if she was OK.
The witnesses allegedly told rangers they heard a "yes" and continued on. Shortly after, the group reportedly heard screaming and saw Bettles fall.
The group then hiked down the trail and alerted rangers of the incident.
Gediman said darkness and poor weather conditions made it difficult for rangers to recover the body Thursday or Friday. He added the body was recovered by way of helicopter Saturday morning.
Bettles was reportedly staying in Curry Village at Yosemite and was expected to stay on through the weekend.
Thousands of Yosemite visitors hike to the top of Half Dome each year, Gediman said, but most do it when the cables that are connected to steel posts are upright in place on the dome. During the colder months, usually from mid October to mid May, the posts are lifted out and laid on the side of the dome.
Gediman said it is not illegal to climb Half Dome when the cables are not up, but added it's not recommended.
"People do it all the time," Gediman said. "But it's not recommended because it's not safe. In my opinion, it's hard to do it when they're up."
Gediman also said rain and snow on Half Dome can make for a slippery surface.
Thursday's death was the second in six months on the side of Half Dome. In October, a male hiker died in a similar fashion. The cables were not up at that time.
Before that, Gediman said, the last fatality on downed cables of Half Dome, was in the seventies. "
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I thought that there was one last year?
Take care all
Bill
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