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Kartch
climber
belgrade, mt
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Get well Bobby, your pics are an inspiration for a hack like me.
Sending good vibes your way.
Some Bobby pics are found at this site http://www.coldfear.com/
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Crimpergirl
Social climber
Hell on earth wondering what I did to deserve it
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So sorry to hear this. Sending positive thoughts...
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Wild Bill
climber
Ca
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Hope this turns out OK. Peace to his friends and family. Here's a pic from the Trango Tower free climb:
Jeff Bechtel, Todd Skinner, Mike Lilygren, and Bobby Model.
Peace,
Bill McMahon
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feelio Babar
Trad climber
Sneaking up behind you...
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Much postive energy to Bobby...and family.
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elemental
Gym climber
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Hey everyone, I know most of you have probably heard, but here is the latest update on Bobby's situation:
Please pass this along -
Information is scant at this point but what I have heard from Faith (Bobby's sister) is that Bobby, Faith and two others were in a car together when someone deliberately threw a cinder block type object through the window – not sure if it was through the windshield, the side window or directly into the car – and it hit Bobby in the head. He suffered severe trauma to his brain and underwent brain surgery yesterday. He came out of the surgery and is stable now having been out of surgery for more than half a day. The critical step is remaining stable for the next 36 or so hours. Anne is on her way to Cape Town right now and should arrive this evening our time (tomorrow morning in Cape Town). I’ll send along information about Bobby’s condition as I learn more.
He’ll be heartened to learn that so many people are concerned and thinking of him right now.
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elemental
Gym climber
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From the Cape Town newspaper:
AN international adventure photographer, who has survived working in war zones and remote mountain ascents, is fighting for his life after his bakkie was stoned on Baden Powell Drive on Thursday.
Last year Bobby Model, 34, an American visiting Cape Town from his home in Kenya, was named by the National Geographic So¬ciety as one of their “emerging explorers”.
This is a title bequeathed annually to what they describe as “dynamic personalities who are making a significant contribution to world knowledge through exploration”.
Model was being driven by his sister, Faith, 32, from Stellenbosch to Scarborough about 2pm to visit a friend when their vehicle was hit near the Monwabisi resort.
He had been in Cape Town for just two days and was due to have left for Johannesburg yesterday.
Instead he is in a critical condition on life-support in the Vergelegen Medi-Clinic in Somerset West. His sister has been at his bedside since the incident.
Faith’s partner, South African Hans Pieter Bakker, said the pair had been driving his vehicle, a Nissan bakkie twin cab, when it was hit by “a chunk of concrete about the size of a melon”. The rock smashed through the windscreen and hit Model in the head. His sister was not hurt.
Bakker, a former Cape Argus journalist who also lives in Kenya where he works in the field of emerging media, was back in Stellenbosch on a sabbatical when Model came to South Africa for a break. This was his first visit to Cape Town.
“He’d been here for just two days and fell in love with Cape Town overnight,” said Bakker. “We visited Franschhoek and also went climbing. Bobby was really upbeat about this place - he was even talking about buying property here.
“He’s an amazing guy, a great climber and a great photographer.”
Model and his sister are from Wyoming, where he started rock climbing at the age of 15.
After completing a degree in environmental economics he did an internship with Rich Clarkson, a former director of photography at National Geographic Magazine.
In a brief biography on the National Geographic Emerging Explorers website, Model wrote after covering an incident in Sudan’s civil war: “Moments like this make me realise that wherever we are, people have certain universal emotions. We’re really all the same. I hope my work in these places will have some sort of meaning, bring new awareness, and help change situations.”
He also wrote: “Sometimes I have to kick myself when I take my life for granted.”
Police spokeswoman Inspector Bernadine Steyn confirmed the incident occurred at 2pm on Baden Powell Drive, near the Harare area of Khayelitsha as the Model siblings were driving towards Muizenberg.
She said no arrests had been made. Police were investigating a case of attempted murder.
Susan Muller, spokeswoman for Vergelegen Medi-Clinic, said Model was in the intensive care unit. “He is in critical condition. His sister has been at his beside. I cannot tell you more than that.”
In the past year there has been a spate of stone-throwing on Cape Town's busiest roads, particularly on the notorious N2 hell run. Last year this road claimed the life of Nolan Daniels after a brick was hurled through his windscreen.
In March a vagrant was arrested for after two stone-throwing incidents on the M3.Two motorists were driving towards Claremont when their vehicles were hit by stones shortly after 5pm. No one was injured
In June last year, community safety MEC Leonard Ramatlakane launched a plan to boost policing on highways.
He said patrols on key routes - the N2, the R300, the N1 and the M3 - were to be boosted. The police agreed to deploy 26 dedicated patrol officers, the Metro police 40, and provincial traffic 26. A total of 46 vehicles were to be deployed, up from the seven already in use. Ramatlakane also promised that the city would repair inactive closed-circuit television cameras on major routes.
Anyone with information can contact Superintendent Andrew Tobias at the Harare Police station on (021) 363 9031.
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Jerry Dodrill
climber
Bodega, CA
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speachless. Many prayers going out to you brother.
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Man, very sad...I hope he pulls through. I met Bobby in his stomping grounds of the South Fork Ice Climbing area. He was very welcoming towards us.
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wiclimber
Trad climber
devil's lake, wi
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This is a terrible accident. Positive vibes go out to him and his family/friends.
I hope they catch the f^cker that did it, but more important, I hope he recovers from it.
Bobby is obviously very talented and well liked.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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hoping for a good outcome
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horst
Trad climber
Lancaster, PA
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My prayers are with you Bobby.
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paganmonkeyboy
Trad climber
the blighted lands of hatu
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Very Sad Indeed. Sending some positive energy...
Tom
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Laura Francis-Brown
Social climber
Cody
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Jun 10, 2007 - 11:44am PT
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Wishing Bobby all the best from his friends here in Cody. We all want him to come home to us.
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Crimpergirl
Social climber
Hell on earth wondering what I did to deserve it
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Jun 10, 2007 - 10:36pm PT
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Any update? I know these first days after such an accident are informative for long-term prognosis. Hoping to hear some good news.
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elemental
Gym climber
Lander, Wyoming
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Jun 11, 2007 - 11:10am PT
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This came today from one of Bobby's friends in SA:
Dear Friends
Bobby's condition is unchanged. Please know that we will inform you as soon as practically possible by email as soon as anything substantive changes.
Bobby's girlfriend Mariella and Faith have been at his side from the beginning. They have kept up a constant vigil. They talk to him and touch him all the time.
Anne, Faith and Bobby’s mom, who arrived yesterday morning, has been a tremendous support to us all and late last night Anne Walton, a very good friend of both Bobby and Faith arrived. Bob Model, Bobby's dad, is arriving tomorrow evening.
To all the many offers to fly in and help us out, thanks very, very much. For now, we are doing OK. But it is good to know that there is so much support out there.
Hans-Peter
"Sometimes I have to kick myself when I take my life for granted,"..."I've been fortunate to go so many places and witness so many amazing human moments. I'll never forget sitting on a rock shelf in the hill country of northern Kenya. The moon was rising and drums began sounding from a village far below. Nothing was staged; it was all perfectly real. Hearing that ceremony at the beginning of a new millennium, 300 miles from the nearest power grid, was just unbelievable." Bobby Model 2006
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Crimpergirl
Social climber
Hell on earth wondering what I did to deserve it
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Jun 11, 2007 - 11:16am PT
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Thanks for the update. Best wishes...
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Wild Bill
climber
Ca
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Jun 11, 2007 - 12:22pm PT
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Micro, yes Bobby was on the Trango climb with Skinner et al. (I posted a pic above). I believe the thing with Steve's wife went unresolved, with clues filtering out of the community but no resolution. The Wyoming crew has been hit hard this last year indeed.
Best wishes to all as we stand by to hear more about Bobby's condition.
Bill
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