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Matt Lucas
climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 22, 2004 - 07:16pm PT
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Hey all it was recommended by one of James' friends that I post on here to information be a little more coherent and precise.
James was climbing in joshau tree on friday (I think it was friday maybe saturday) and fell. He fell about 70 feet hit a ledge and fell another 30 to the ground. Not sure as to why he fell and or the general nature of the climb (if he was free climbing or not). He was climbing by himself. He was airlifted out of the park and to a hospital here in palm springs. He has shattered several vertebrae, his shattered bones in his left ankle, shattered his left elbow, broke his clavicle and sustained a head injury. He's alive, he has feeling/movement in his legs and sh#t. Which is good. He has several cuts and buises as well as a decent amount of swelling. He hit his head on the way down and got a concussion which caused some bleeding in the brain and a blood clot. My understanding is that that will dissipate and not cause any brain damage. Right now he's in the icu and stable. They will be putting a cast on his elbow in the next day or so and putting some rods and wires into it. It will probably be pretty stiff for a while but eventually will be relatively normal. They operated on his back already and have put sh#t loads of rods and wires into it. He will be able to walk eventually and be able to everyday type activity. Not sure if he'll ever climb again but he's a: lucky to be alive and b: lucky to not be paralyzed. There is still a chance that things will change, they're going to do a cat scan to make sure there are no bone chips floating around and what not. So yeah that's it for now. I'll post more info later.
Matt Lucas (James' twin brother)
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Dec 22, 2004 - 07:29pm PT
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Matt, thanks for the update on your brothers condition. Myself and I'm sure everyone who posts here on ST all wish him a speedy recovery and a long healthy life. You don't get to many second chances like he just got.
cheers
Pat
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Dec 22, 2004 - 08:02pm PT
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Thanks, Matt. Pass on best wishes from me to your bro.
Sincerely,
John Long
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Mountain Man
Trad climber
Outer space
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Dec 22, 2004 - 08:17pm PT
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All our prayers go with him, for a full recovery and a life filled with joy.
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Mill Valley
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Dec 22, 2004 - 08:24pm PT
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Thanks for the update, Matt.
Tell James there's a lot of folks here pulling for him -- many of whom he's never met.
All of his forum-flames have been officially forgiven.
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rlf
Trad climber
Josh, CA
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Dec 22, 2004 - 11:00pm PT
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I just posted this on the other James thread, but wanted to make sure all involved saw it as well.
This is great news. Sounds like James is going to have a long recovery though.
I would like to take a moment and thank all the people who were first on scene. Everyone was very calm under extremely stressfull circumstances. Every effort was made to keep him as comfortable as possible. This includes telling him that help was on the way and to stay strong and hang in there.
Thank you again.
Robert Fonda
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Dec 22, 2004 - 11:15pm PT
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Sounds like James have finally surmounted the crux of it(simply surviving), barring something odd; and seeing how the Fates have short-roped him this far, I trust, and pray, they be paying out slack till our boy is good to go on his own.
Curious about how this whole business hooked me in so fast and so deeply, stranger so because I'd never even heard of James before. Perhaps because the North Overhang is part of my history, and at James' age I was doing basically the same thing at the same place; so in a sense, James is an incarnation of all the Stonemasters of old, and when one gets hurt, all feel it.
As others have said, three cheers to the heroic folks who pushed down their terror tenJames after the fall. Laying in a heap at the base of that wall is surely the lonliest position anyone can imagine, and without support from his peers, I don't like James' chances. It makes me proud to be a climber.
John
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mark
climber
yosemite
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Dec 22, 2004 - 11:21pm PT
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Hey Matt. Best wishes to you, your bro and your family dealing with this. Last time I hung out with James was last summer. He's a solid climber and a solid friend. Dude has a smile that makes others around want to smile.
Tell him as well that Dave B., Pat and Jasmine hope he recovers quicky.
Swift recovery James. Glad your here.
Mark
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Dec 22, 2004 - 11:40pm PT
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best wishes James, and James's family
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Dec 23, 2004 - 09:50am PT
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Thanks Matt for the info. Any real climber that hears one of their fellow climbers have fallen, will fell the sorrow. I am one that doesn't know James, but his unfortunate fall feels close. Largo I thought kind of along the same lines. When I heard the story it made me think about how many times I have felt for that blind handjam 15 or so years in the past. Sometimes before coffee in the a.m. and sometimes after a couple of lucky lagers in the p.m. I feel connected to James even not knowing him personally becuase he lives the same dream as I. Best of wishes to James, and I hope his recovery is as miraculous as his survival of the fall.
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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Dec 23, 2004 - 11:41am PT
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It is very good news to hear that James is recovering. My best wishes to him.
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atchafalaya
Trad climber
California
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Dec 23, 2004 - 12:12pm PT
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Best wishes James, heres to a speedy recovery.
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Matt Lucas
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 23, 2004 - 03:59pm PT
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James is coming out of his drug stupor today although he does have another operation on his ankle tomorrow. They'll be doing a couple different things tomorrow as well as operating on his ankle. Checking for loose bone chips being one of them. They may do more stuff with his back but I'm not sure. His pallette count is low mainly because he lost a lot of blood from his elbow. They're going to start feeding him soon which is good and he'll be getting some blood transfusions as well. He's coherent and still a little upset that he can't sit up and or get out of bed. He was pretty surly towards me the other day when I wouldn't let him up and don't be surprised if he's sort of a dick to you if you visit. Part of it is the medication, part is the head injury and part of it is that he's pretty upset. If you intend to visit him which I'm sure he'd like just tell me ahead of time. Most of the family is throughout the country and I'm trying to co-ordinate things so that someone is around for him at least every couple of days. The next week and a half or so is gonna be hard for the family to see him so if anyone wants to visit that'd be rad. you can email me at opibr@yahoo.com thanks for the kind words and what not.
matt lucas
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Claude
Trad climber
Newport Beach
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Dec 23, 2004 - 04:43pm PT
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anyone have a picture of James?
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Dec 23, 2004 - 05:20pm PT
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Perhaps someone of us So Californians can work up a calander and visiting schedule per folks in the area keeping James company whenever possible. Busted up in the hospital is no place to be on the solo. I'm off to Venezuela tomorrow till Jan. 5th so someone else will have to take the inititive.
Good cheer to all!
John
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The O
Social climber
Yosemite via N.Y.
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Dec 24, 2004 - 12:51pm PT
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Matt...thanks for the info man...tell your bro that The O loves him and he better work his ass off to get better...it is going to be long and hard but Big Wall is up to it if anyone is...
Peace
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Dragon with Matches
climber
Bamboo Grove
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Dec 24, 2004 - 02:47pm PT
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Count me in as another comrade who's never met James but is extremely psyched to hear good news about his progressing recovery.
I crushed two vertebrae (mid-chest level or T4/T5 if you're keeping score) fifteen years ago. Stupid stunt, foreseeable result, overtold story. I write because I want James to know that positive outcomes are possible. Although initially prognosed as paraplegic I was fortunate beyond comprehension to regain mobility after a bit of fight and have not passed a day since without reflecting how lucky I am to have a rich life full of freedom, adventure, and incredible times with incredible people. I have traveled and climbed all over the world, summered in Tuolumne, lived in Europe and Asia, learned to speak Chinese, run marathons and won an international adventure race. One morning last month after an all-nighter with my antipodean brother and too many hand-rolleds I swam in the pre-dawn light, watched the sun rise out of the Pacific and then turned around and impulsively swam up my first 5.11 free solo.
I wish with all my heart for James to have at least as much good fortune as I've been handed. There are rough roads ahead but some are golden. Stay strong and hang in there. Lots of people are pulling for you.
MR
p.s.- I hope you get hot nurses and loads of visitors. The importance of a steady supply of both cannot be overstated.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Dec 27, 2004 - 04:11pm PT
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Any updates. James has gone through about a half dozen surgeries by now and I´m wondering how he´s faring up. I trust well.
JL
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BigWallcuz
Social climber
Agoura California
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Dec 27, 2004 - 05:10pm PT
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Saw James today - spoke, held his hand - seems to be coming out of stupor a little more. Anyone friend in area that can visit would be great - not being a climber, but reading what you all have written - I always pictured him alone out there - now I know he was not. He's a strong man and we are all just waiting. Next time I am there I will print out some of the regards sent and read them to him. He's doing a little better every day. No words can be said to the group that helped at the bottom - no words except thank you. Thank you.
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