Man dies rapping in Zion

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Jon Beck

Trad climber
Oceanside
Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 20, 2012 - 07:51pm PT
http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=17280799

Man was rapping a falls in a canyon called subway
LuckyPink

climber
the last bivy
Sep 20, 2012 - 09:38pm PT
Unconfirmed reports suggest the man was using an autoblock that got stuck in his rappel device and became inverted while trying to get it unstuck.

this was posted on the ACA website discussion

we had some discussion here about autoblocks a while back

condolences to the family and especially this man's wife who was at the scene.
Brian in SLC

Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
Sep 20, 2012 - 10:37pm PT
Tragic.

Man, 74, dies after hanging by foot overnight in Zion NP canyon
Tragedy » Companion hiked for help, but rangers arrived too late.
By bob mims and Michael McFall
| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Sep 20 2012 08:25 am • Updated 1 minute ago
Yoshio Hosobuchi, a retired neurosurgeon from Novato, Calif., spent the past few years traveling with his wife as they crossed items off his bucket list. Last year, he hiked Kilimanjaro, and Wednesday the couple aimed to check off one more: the Subway Slot Canyon in Zion National Park.

But their daylong adventure ended in unimaginable tragedy. Hosobuchi, 74, lost consciousness and died after hanging upside-down overnight in a waterfall, unable to free a foot that became stuck as he rappelled down the canyon wall. The accident occurred Tuesday night, and Hosobuchi had passed away by the time park rangers arrived Wednesday morning.

"He was unable to pull himself up to reach his foot. …This was an extremely tragic, awful way for him to die," Zion spokeswoman Aly Baltrus said Thursday, adding that the exact cause of death awaited an autopsy by the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office.

When Hosobuchi and his 61-year-old wife reached the waterfall, with the canyon floor about 15 feet below them, Hosobuchi rappelled from an anchor in the waterfall instead of crossing it and rappelling from an anchor on the other side, Baltrus said. His repelling device jammed, possibly because of a knot, and he wound up upside down, his hands about five feet above the ground.

His wife, who had earlier managed to climb down to the canyon floor, tried to help him, but couldn’t. And they were the last ones in the canyon, having been passed by several groups throughout the day.

Hosobuchi’s wife tried in vain to locate help Tuesday night, but apparently became disoriented about halfway through the nine-mile route in the remote, rugged area.

"The partner was caught by darkness and was unfamiliar with the exit route, and could not make it out of the canyon until Wednesday morning," Baltrus explained.

A canyoneer from a group that had passed the couple earlier in the day had called park dispatchers at 9 p.m. to tell them that at their current pace, Hosobuchi and his wife would probably have to spend the night in the canyon. Based on that, rangers began looking for the overdue couple on Wednesday morning and ran into Hosobuchi’s wife on the trail about 11:45 a.m. as she was hiking out.

The park’s search and rescue team found the victim about an hour later.

Baltrus said the couple were relatively new to canyoneering, and had not been to the Subway area. Their only experience was an introductory course and completing a trip through Keyhole Canyon, elsewhere in the park.

According to Baltrus, they hadn’t mastered route finding and may not have had the skills needed to get out of trouble while rappelling. Rappelling in a watercourse is even more difficult and may have contributed to Hosobuchi’s death, Baltrus said in a news release about the accident issued Thursday.

Hosobuchi’s death was the first reported in the Subway area in recent memory, park officials said, though rangers have completed four successful rescues in the slot canyon so far this year.

Zion National Park Superintendent Jock Whitworth issued a statement in sympathy — and warning.

"The Subway is deceiving. It is a very popular trail, but very difficult — the nine-mile hike requires rappelling and ascending skills, extensive route finding experience, and swimming through several cold and deep pools," Whitworth said. "Unfortunately, its location inside the wilderness also means that rescues are not always possible or timely enough. Sound decision making and problem solving are critical."

The Subway, also known as the Left Fork of North Creek, carries a 2B III difficulty grade using the Canyon Rating System, being considered a semi-technical canyoneering challenge. Normally, for experienced canyoneers, it is considered a seven to nine-hour excursion and offers some of Zion’s most iconic showcase scenery.

Visitors, having obtained a backcountry permit, can rappel into the slot canyon from above, or hike into it from below.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/jazz/54...ltrus.html.csp
Matt Leonard

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
Sep 21, 2012 - 10:54pm PT
We were on that route, same day. Arrived at the body just a little while after the first Ranger/SAR did. Pretty disturbing - we had to pass right over the body stepping over his anchor.

I got the initial assessment from SAR. He was on a newly-built rap - a variation from the standard route. It's quite possible he didn't know there was a much easier/standard rap 50 feet further. It's a tricky rappel for those less experienced - off a log at your feet (so anchors are ~12 inches below your best stance), right alongside a small waterfall (so slippery as well). His autoblock jammed into his device, and he presumably didn't know how to un=weight it. He decided to cut himself out of his harness (it was the last rap of the day, and only a 15'-20' drop). It looked like he cut out his waist, but then inverted, got caught on his leg loops, and couldn't escape. His partner was below as he was hanging upsidedown, swinging into the waterfall, but unable to help. She couldn't find the exit out of the canyon as nightfall was coming (it is a long and confusing exit)and contact help until the next morning.

It seems like simply knowing how to ascend (inline step, or rigging a prussik) would have prevented this, and been a much better option than cutting yourself out of your harness. Of course, it's hard to speculate until the official SAR report is out.

It was my first time canyoneering - and I was a bit shocked at how casual, and inexperienced a lot of folks were out there. And in turn, how many folks had done a 1-day "learn to rappel" course from local shops, been encouraged by how easy everyone made routes out to be, and jumped into canyons with rented ropes/harnesses. Sure, most times knowing the bare minimum (rigging a rappel device on a bolted anchor) might suffice. But here's a very sad, tragic example of when having more than 1-day of rappelling experience is really, really important.

We were following another group on the approach and actual started off-route, and did Russel's Gulch variation. It was am easy straightforward, 100' rappel with an intermediate anchor IF you knew what you were looking at. The couple ahead of us (and the next group behind us!) were all rappelling for the first time (After taking a 1-day course), and per the guidebook thought it was a 30' downclimb. They had nowhere near enough rope, didn't know how to ascend if they got to the end of their rope and not the ground (or intermediate anchor). I took the time to offer my rope, made sure everyone rigged properly and got down OK, but I can only imagine the trouble people get into out there.

-Matt
Jon Beck

Trad climber
Oceanside
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 22, 2012 - 12:14am PT
Rapping kills way too many experienced people. Noobs getting into it is job security for SAR. A heart wrenching story to read, and a rescue should have been easy to do.
zBrown

Ice climber
chingadero de chula vista
Sep 22, 2012 - 12:31am PT
Well this calls out for some snippy comments, but I'll hush my mouth.

A real shame.

justthemaid

climber
Jim Henson's Basement
Sep 22, 2012 - 01:56am PT
Wow- what a bizarre accident. Very tragic. Condolences to friends and family.

I hate reading these things... especially when it was probably preventable. A few extremely basic self-rescue skills could have saved this man's life. These companies that are teaching quickie rappel classes really should add a little extra time to educate people how to unweight a rope should your shirt, hair or rap-backup get jammed in the device.

Don Paul

Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
Sep 22, 2012 - 09:35am PT
Does anybody here actually use this autoblock thing? I would probably get it stuck in my belay device too.
justthemaid

climber
Jim Henson's Basement
Sep 22, 2012 - 09:56am PT
@ Don: I use one all the time. I've read way too many accident reports and really hate rappelling, so I take precautions. Tied at the correct length - it actually cannot get jammed in the device BTW but that comes with experience.

Reports of a rap-backup causing a fatality are extremely rare. The number of times a backup could have prevented an accident are many. This accident was bizarre. The poor man simply didn't know what to do and made a bad decision about trying to get loose from his harness.

I can't imagine how helpless his wife felt.
monolith

climber
albany,ca
Sep 22, 2012 - 11:24am PT
Was cause of death drowning because he was stuck in waterfall?

Or exposure to cold?
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Sep 22, 2012 - 12:04pm PT
It may have been even worse than that!

This is a sad tragic example of how a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing.
Gotta wonder about these basic skills classes.
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Sep 22, 2012 - 08:27pm PT
hey there say, jon...

this is very sad, :(

thanks for sharing so we can keep there families in mind,
at this awful time, :(

my condolences to the family and to his loved ones,:(
Anxious Melancholy

Mountain climber
Between the Depths of Despair & Heights of Folly
Sep 24, 2012 - 01:03am PT
My heart aches for the widow. First for being thrust so quickly and intimately into such a tragic event, and secondly for the hole in her life's landscape his departure must create.

How many times have we ourselves pushed our limits? How many times have we seen others do the same? How often, as more experienced individuals, have we attempted to share our lessons with the thought of helping others safely enjoy the more elusive beauties of nature? And how often have adventurous souls paid for their spirit of exploration with the ultimate blending of body and earth?

I've passed thru this place of departure several times, most recently the day after this event, and it now holds much more significance for me. More than a combining of my own and a partner's sharing of personal enjoyment of nature's abundant beauty, there is now an even greater awareness of its ability to reach out and encircle us with its everlasting embrace.

As I passed over this spot, I snapped the pictures below, never realizing their import. RIP brother.



rlf

Trad climber
Josh, CA
Sep 24, 2012 - 06:31am PT
One way to keep the autobloc from getting stuck in your device is to extend the belay device with a sling.

Problem solved.

Sorry to hear this.
raymond phule

climber
Sep 24, 2012 - 06:48am PT
What is the advantage in using an outoblock ( I guess we are talking about a prussik) below the rappel device instead of using the prussik above the rappel device?
wivanoff

Trad climber
CT
Sep 24, 2012 - 07:54am PT
"What is the advantage in using an outoblock ( I guess we are talking about a prussik) below the rappel device instead of using the prussik above the rappel device?"

Well, usually a "French Prusik". Below the rappel device means the Prusik has to do less work to grab because you already have the friction of the rappel device assisting.

Above the rappel device, the Prusik must do all the grabbing on it's own.

Try stopping yourself on rappel by gripping the rope with both hands above the rappel device vs. gripping the rope below the rappel device. (Don't really try this, but you see what I mean...)
raymond phule

climber
Sep 24, 2012 - 07:59am PT
Yes, I understand that but a french prussik above the rappeling device also works well. To me it seems more natural and the risk for the prussik to interact with the rappeling device is less.
raymond phule

climber
Sep 24, 2012 - 08:44am PT

Much easier to release an autoblock than a prusik.

But isn't an auto block a prusik?


If you've never done it: just for fun, put a prusik backup above the rap device and let it engage to catch you.

The reason that I asked is that I have used a french prusik above the rappeling device many times without any problems. It catch falls and is easy to release.
justthemaid

climber
Jim Henson's Basement
Sep 24, 2012 - 09:13am PT
Beautiful post by Anxious up there.^^^ Thanks for the pics.








Drift for technical clarification:

@Raymond. There is a little confusion with the term "auto block" since it is both a specific type of backup knot and a generic term some people use to describe backing up a rappel (with any knot). When they compare releasability, they are comparing specific knots to one another. The autoblock knot is easier to release than a (standard) prusic knot.














raymond phule

climber
Sep 24, 2012 - 09:18am PT
The knot that you call an autoblock is often called a french prusik and it is the knot that I am using above the rappeling device.
The Alpine

climber
Sep 24, 2012 - 10:06am PT
Cut the rope?
Anxious Melancholy

Mountain climber
Between the Depths of Despair & Heights of Folly
Sep 24, 2012 - 10:45am PT
In this case, yes, cut the rope would have been the right immediate answer (from my pictures you might be able to see that the drop is short and ends on a sandy and flat area). Remember though that the individual inverted and did not have the strength to get himself upright. Contrary to some of the descriptions above, once he was inverted, and had cut both himself and his harness, he was left dangling even further by a leg loop and was unable to reach the sling with his blade. Of course he could have continued cutting, but I imagine that with rising panic and quickly waning energy levels, and baring an intervening force, at that point he was at Mother Nature’s mercy.

We that risk, risk the loss of life. Yet without risk, would we experience even half of what life has to offer? I choose risk, and celebrate those who also have the courage to adventure.
Studly

Trad climber
WA
Sep 24, 2012 - 10:57am PT
Very sad news. I've always thought that an autoblock knot is either a prusik or a kleimheist or other, autoblock being a generic term referring to the action of several different knots in automatically blocking the rope from sliding until you manually release it.
cencalclimber

climber
Sep 24, 2012 - 11:53am PT
An autoblock bought me some more time on this planet once. Years ago when I was new to climbing, my friend and I were rapping in Yosemite. I unclipped my daisy, leaned back over the edge, and felt a weird tug on my leg loop instead of the belay loop where you should. Turned out that I had threaded the rope through the device but never clipped the rope into the biner. The only thing holding me on the rope was the autoblock prussic attached to my leg loop. So stupid!!!

A few years ago, my wife and I did the Subway canyon in Zion as our first canyoneering trip. Thankfully by that point, I had enough experience to know when I don't know things and to not be fooled into complacency by the canyon's popularity. I had backups for backups, a 60 meter rope for the 20 foot mandatory rappel, extensive route beta, thick wetsuits, rappel slings, leaver biners, etc. Relative to others, I felt like we override it a bit. But that's only beacuse nothing went wrong...

If only we could internalize critical knowledge without near-death experiences.
Don Paul

Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
Sep 24, 2012 - 12:06pm PT
Thanks for education about autoblocks. BTW when I learned to tie prusik knots I remember there were two ways to do it, both shown above. I dont think it matters either way for ascending, although I think the "prusik" variation bites more and the spiral one a little less. I am wondering what the cause of death will be on the autopsy. Probably suffocated in the water or had a heart attack. He was 74 years old.

I remember once I went off hiking, in either arches or canyonlands, in this place called the firey furnace. I thought I was following a trail but got totally lost in the canyon maze. After not figuring it out for a while I got worried about being benighted in the cold utah desert with no protection, and started jogging instead of walking, following one wall the whole time. Eventually got to a climbable chimney, ascended about 40 feet to I could look around, then figured out the compass directions, and got myself out of the canyon using rock climbing skills. I can only imagine what this person's wife went through.
Sagebrusher

Sport climber
Iowa
Sep 27, 2012 - 12:14am PT

Wednesday, September 26, 2012


INCIDENTS

Zion National Park (UT)
Man Dies In Canyoneering Accident

On Wednesday, September 19th, 2012 park rangers determined that Yoshio Hosobuchi, age 74, had died while descending the Left Fork of the North Creek, a popular canyoneering route known as The Subway. Rangers began to look for Hosobuchi and his wife, based on a report from another hiker who was concerned the couple might be caught by darkness. Rangers made contact with Hosobuchi’s wife on the trail who reported Hosobuchi had flipped upside down while rappelling the previous evening and she had been unable to free him. The couple was at the last obstacle of the technical portion of the canyon, a 15-foot rappel, and chose to use an anchor different from the one listed in the route description. The anchor they chose increased the difficulty of the rappel as the location is overhung, free-hanging and in an active waterfall. Hosobuchi’s wife completed the rappel first. Hosobuchi was using a Blue Water VT below his rappel device and attached to his leg loop as a backup. Hosobuchi began his rappel when he flipped upside down, possibly due to the weight of his pack. It appears that when Hosobuchi inverted, the VT slid into the rappel device and jammed it. Due to the overhung and free-hanging nature of the location, Hosobuchi had no leverage to assist in righting himself even after he dropped his pack and his wife pulled on the rope to attempt to move him sideways, towards a wall. Hosobuchi then attempted to free himself by cutting the waist belt of his harness. When he cut through the waist belt, the leg loops of his harness slid down and caught around his ankles and canyoneering boots. Hosobuchi was now hanging upside down from his ankles in an active waterfall approximately 6 feet off the ground. Hosobuchi’s wife repeatedly attempted to pull him free from his harness by pulling on his hands, but was unable to free him from the harness before leaving him to seek help. Rangers reached Hosobuchi in the late afternoon of September 19 and confirmed that he had not survived. A helicopter from the Grand Canyon recovered his body the following morning. Rangers worked closely with Washington County Sheriff’s office and the local medical examiner on the investigation.
[Submitted by Therese Picard, Canyon District Ranger]
A.J.

Mountain climber
Boulder, CO
Oct 10, 2012 - 12:30am PT
Hey all,

A couple things.

1) An autoblock is anything that will automatically stop the rope; a device or a friction hitch. A prusik is likely the most common, but other friction hitches such as a Bachmann or Klemheist can be used.

2) If using an autoblock, I'd recommend using it from your leg loop (and keep it pretty tight), and extend your rappel device from a sling, to add significant distance between your device and your autoblock. However, using a firemans belay from below is preferred as it's much quicker and easier, and if something were to happen, the person from below could actually lower the person; eliminating the need for a more complex pick-off.

3) It was asked what is the difference of putting your autoblock above and below your rappel device, and was mentioned that above your device, it had to hold more weight. While this is true, the more important fact is that if your autoblock stops you, if it is above the rappel device, you will very likely have to unweight the rope to loosen it and get moving again.

If it's below the device, you can usually loosen it without unweighting the rope (as it has to hold less weight to stop you.)

4) Most importantly of all, NEVER use an autoblock when doing class C rappels (through moving water.) Mister Murphy will visit at the most inopportune moment, and things can get bad really quickly...

Hope that helps, and as an avid canyoneer, was very sad to hear of this tragic accident. Especially because, as several have already pointed out, it could have been avoided by some basic knowledge (either of the proper route/anchors, or some basic techniques or rescue knowledge...)

Very sad, and my condolences to all those affected...


Take care,
A.J.
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