Man dies on "World's Largest Rope Swing"

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The Larry

climber
Moab, UT
Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 25, 2013 - 03:12pm PT
Evidently a 22 year old Salt Lake local died after attempting the Corona Arch rope swing with too long a rope. That's the second death out here in a week due to rigging failure.
bvb

Social climber
flagstaff arizona
Mar 25, 2013 - 03:46pm PT
BLM crackdown in 3...2...1...
mechrist

Gym climber
South of Heaven
Mar 25, 2013 - 03:52pm PT
Dumb
Ass
Rigging
Errors


to keep kids off rope swings.
abrams

Sport climber
Mar 25, 2013 - 04:09pm PT
wheres the video? If the go-pro survived the impact that will be
a nice testimonial.

mechrist

Gym climber
South of Heaven
Mar 25, 2013 - 04:33pm PT
Knowledge and dues aren't always enough when "they" are hucking them self off sh#t.
ddriver

Trad climber
SLC, UT
Mar 25, 2013 - 04:36pm PT
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=24533690&nid=148&title=west-jordan-man-killed-on-corona-arch-rope-swing&fm=home_page&s_cid=featured-1

MOAB — A West Jordan man was killed Sunday while attempting to swing from a large natural arch that has gained widespread notoriety from a YouTube video.

Kyle Stocking, 22, and five friends set up a rope swing on Corona Arch about 3:30 p.m. They miscalculated the length of the rope, however, and on their first jump of the day, Stocking hit the ground when he tried to swing, sustaining fatal injuries, the Grand County Sheriff's Office reported.

bvb

Social climber
flagstaff arizona
Mar 25, 2013 - 04:44pm PT
I did a similar massive, ass-puckering rope-swing thing off a bridge in Oregon, outside of Bend, in the early 80's; scared the sh#t out of me and was, uh, "fun". But throughout all my years of climbing my first line of psychological defense was having the gear there for pro, but trying not to use it and never really trusting it -- just not falling was always my goal. I've taken my share of whopper whippers and done some hard routes with pathetic pro, but that was when I was a real heat-seeker, climbing full-time for years on end, and in the Zone as it were. Always hated and always nervvy on rappels, hanging belays, etc. With those big rope swings, the fear-to-fun ratio was way to skewed-- 90% fear, 10% fun -- so I never got into 'em. But oldschool playground swingsets? Yes! Better than meditation.

And Bungee jumping? Never. Ever. Period. A good book and a comfortable reading chair over that sh#t all day long.
WBraun

climber
Mar 25, 2013 - 04:48pm PT
People do this type of rigging all the time and then forget about unforeseen dynamics that come into play when in actual use .......

SCseagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz
Mar 25, 2013 - 04:59pm PT
Taken in November at Corona Arch, as said then I wanted to, but just couldn't do it....don't think I have any interest any more.

Sad, condolences to his friends and family..


Susan
MisterE

Social climber
Mar 25, 2013 - 05:05pm PT
Video of rope swing:

[Click to View YouTube Video]
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Mar 25, 2013 - 05:16pm PT
Susan,
The BLM allows this to go on. They are crappy stewards. How can they protect our communally-held land letting idiots on arches which may have decided to give it up any day now? I don't get it.

"Just hold the match to the fuse, lady."

Jugheads.
Captain...or Skully

climber
Mar 25, 2013 - 05:28pm PT
Natural Selection regulates this sort of thing.
rectorsquid

climber
Lake Tahoe
Mar 25, 2013 - 05:28pm PT
There are probably an infinite number of ways do die on BLM land and if they get in the business of trying to regulate idiot, they will have a seriously difficult time of it.

As soon as someone trips and dies because they were running, should they outlaw running? Where is the line drawn and which deaths are okay?

Better to stay out if it and just let people make mistakes like they are sure to do everywhere all of the time. Government cannot make life safe and we all suffer when it tries.

Dave
SCseagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz
Mar 25, 2013 - 05:31pm PT
I don't get it.

No easy answer there, Mouse. All about balance. The days we were out there the groups were having a wonderful time...but of course anything could have happened. Airplanes are not allowed to fly through it anymore.

Given the litigious nature of US...I'm sure we haven't heard the last.
As far as lighting the fuse, yep, I've been known to burn it at both ends.

rapping right next to Corona Arch

Susan

mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Mar 25, 2013 - 05:32pm PT
My point is that the arch isn't protected from idiots.

It may be that "los rinches" are called for, I'm not the one to say. But the arch isn't being protected, it isn't mandated like in a National Park or Monument. It's BLM. Maybe a concession?

The point is, there are experts and there are fools or just n00bs, if you will, who don't know beans about dynamics. In order to protect the arch, mind you, not the swingers. There's only one Corona Arch.

Draconian measures...
Any fool swings on my arch is gonna get flamed!
Elcapinyoazz

Social climber
Joshua Tree
Mar 25, 2013 - 05:32pm PT
Wonder if they did a measurement and didn't account for rope stretch, or just tried to "eyeball" it or what?

Seems like you'd run a test with a haulbag full of rocks or something, or at the very least run the first couple jumps fairly short and gradually introduce more rope.

Condolences to the family, gotta be tough. In retrospect I feel pretty lucky to have lived through my late teens and 20s with some of the dumb stuff we did/tried.
mechrist

Gym climber
South of Heaven
Mar 25, 2013 - 05:36pm PT
It is protected from idiots in planes.
What more do you want?
#310

Social climber
Telluride, CO
Mar 25, 2013 - 05:38pm PT
for once it is not the BLM but the State of Utah:

"The arch is on property owned by the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration. Earlier this year, the state ruled that because of the liability presented by the dangers of the rope swing, commercial companies could no longer take paying customers to the swing. Private individuals were still allowed, however, to swing on or climb the arch."

From the KSL news story.

with condolences to family and friends
S.Leeper

Social climber
somewhere that doesnt have anything over 90'
Mar 25, 2013 - 05:45pm PT
I'm with BVB on this one...equipment is only for back up, not jollies.
S.Leeper

Social climber
somewhere that doesnt have anything over 90'
Mar 25, 2013 - 05:47pm PT
you can't legislate stupid.













or morality
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Mar 25, 2013 - 05:52pm PT
It has been illegal to fly like that for many years under FAA Regs. I would
have to hit the books to see how long but I would lay money it was illegal
when Susan's pic was taken. But that maneuver is downright safe compared
to gratuitous n00b-swinging. The only reason, other than the legality of it,
that would prevent me from doing it (flying under the arch, not jumping it)
would be that I respect the maintenance of the peace and quiet of the wild
places.
SteveW

Trad climber
The state of confusion
Mar 25, 2013 - 05:52pm PT

Sad about the death.
Otherwise, stupid.
chill

climber
between the flat part and the blue wobbly thing
Mar 25, 2013 - 06:05pm PT
it's the second death this week in the area , so some considerate sensitivity is probably in order.

What? How long is the official mourning period? I'd like to make some rude comments.
mechrist

Gym climber
South of Heaven
Mar 25, 2013 - 06:10pm PT
"someone doing what they loved and pushing the limits of our sport"

or

"reckless noob doing something stupid"

Exactly. H8 the elitist attitude in the face of tragedies like this. Almost as much as I hate hucking myself off things.
graniteclimber

Trad climber
The Illuminati -- S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Division
Mar 25, 2013 - 06:11pm PT
Not BLM land. Was just closed to outfitters but remains open to private parties. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/55750452-78/arch-swing-corona-james.html.csp

Condolences to the friends and family.
Mark Hudon

Trad climber
Hood River, OR
Mar 25, 2013 - 06:24pm PT
Very sad.
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Mar 25, 2013 - 06:51pm PT
There have been too many cases to count in southern Utah of debacles resulting from the combination of a very little bit of knowledge with climbing ropes and gear.


Is there anyone out there who does these things and doesn't almost instantly proclaim that they are "expert"?
10b4me

Ice climber
Happy Boulders
Mar 25, 2013 - 06:53pm PT
curious as to how experienced these guys were at rigging
condolences to the family, and friends
healyje

Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
Mar 25, 2013 - 07:42pm PT
Bummer, but Darwin is busy enough without asking for special attention. And it's hard to ignore the fact the whole reality/go-pro/dare/adventure thing - which gets endlessly sold as an instant-gratification media commodity - unavoidably has a body count. This sort of incident isn't merely a videos-gone-wrong or jackass copycat, it's the allure of rush conveyed without also getting across the level of skill and experience necessary to survive it.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Mar 25, 2013 - 07:44pm PT
I think that you summed it up perfectly healyje.
Captain...or Skully

climber
Mar 25, 2013 - 08:05pm PT
It's not sad. That was his purpose.
mechrist

Gym climber
South of Heaven
Mar 25, 2013 - 08:13pm PT
I think it is sad that a 22 year old who dies by hucking himself off a rock is immediately labeled as mentally deficient...

but someone who does it over and over and over and over again and eventually dies is inspirational...
S.Leeper

Social climber
somewhere that doesnt have anything over 90'
Mar 25, 2013 - 08:31pm PT
good point
Roughster

Sport climber
Vacaville, CA
Mar 25, 2013 - 08:40pm PT
It only took 14 years to get partial access back to Auburn SRA after the exact same thing happened. Within 1 month of getting access back, we have had multiple highlines with grids of bolts set up across the major chasms regardless of ASRA wishes.

The good news is that land managers know the difference between slack lining, highlining, rope jumping, rope swings, and rock climbing right?

Uhh, no.
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Mar 25, 2013 - 09:06pm PT
oops!!!
Is there anyone out there who does these things and doesn't almost instantly proclaim that they are "expert"?
this seems to be true.
pud

climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
Mar 25, 2013 - 10:21pm PT
I did a lot of really stupid things at that age that could have easily killed me.
I'm sure many would have pointed and said "natural selection took care of him" had good luck not been on my side.

I'm sorry this young man had such a short time with us. I'm sure he had a beautiful spirit.
Sincere condolences to family and friends.
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
Mar 25, 2013 - 11:03pm PT
"World's Largest" ? How long is the rope? Doesn't look that big. If you rig a rope to the third belay of South Seas on El Cap, you get a pretty big swing. The last few years, though the rope has been rigged to the second belay of Atlantis, for a rather smaller swing.

What about that huge swing that Dano died on?

I've never understood the attraction of rope swings. {yawn}

Very sad. Condolences to the family.
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Mar 25, 2013 - 11:25pm PT
I know what Maxwell Smart would have said.
Big Mike

Trad climber
BC
Mar 25, 2013 - 11:42pm PT
Very sad. My condolences to the family and friends.
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
Mar 25, 2013 - 11:44pm PT
"Missed it by THAT MUCH."
skywalker

climber
Mar 25, 2013 - 11:53pm PT
Damn. I'm sure he was a young man of vision. I respect this man. I was often the one who went first with my ideas and most of the time I was spot on but only most. We all get that look and take that last check. And go...

Pay attention,

Bummer...

S...
mike m

Trad climber
black hills
Mar 26, 2013 - 12:01am PT
What is the rope connected to?
S.Leeper

Social climber
somewhere that doesnt have anything over 90'
Mar 26, 2013 - 12:05am PT
anchor on top
john hansen

climber
Mar 26, 2013 - 12:16am PT
Some 22 year old kid died last week over here after attempting to jump from a fourth floor balcony into the pool below. At 2 am.

He missed.

Wonder how many kids die on spring break each year.

Young and rash, all kinds of ways to die..

A real drag for all his friends and family.
troutbreath

climber
Kanada
Mar 26, 2013 - 01:31am PT
Darwin award cited.
rockermike

Trad climber
Berkeley
Mar 26, 2013 - 01:51am PT
My sack shrinks at the mere thought of such things. But that video up thread makes it look hell-of-a fun I have to admit. Ironic, using an outfitter probably would of saved this boys life. very sad outcome.
Big Mike

Trad climber
BC
Mar 26, 2013 - 01:58am PT
Notice in the video they rigged it short. And two ropes. Smart.
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Mar 26, 2013 - 02:38am PT
Man-o-man, if wishes were horses, idiots (unfortunate young dolts) would glide...

If he were smarter/luckier...he'd still be by my side.

My sincere condolences, for what they are worth.

I fervently hope someone has learned something.

I have, but I'm not sure what.

I'm older in spite of myself, but that's just luck.
Big Mike

Trad climber
BC
Mar 26, 2013 - 02:42am PT
I'm older in spite of myself, but that's just luck.

Ditto. Burned a few lives myself. This latest one might have been the closest.
weezy

climber
Mar 26, 2013 - 11:57am PT
been a rough week for SAR here. rappel fatality in pritchett's and now this.

condolences to friends and family


i saw the heli up spotlighting the base of castleton the other night, too. wonder what that was all about.
GuapoVino

Trad climber
Mar 26, 2013 - 12:05pm PT
Did a Google search and found some discussion on another site. One is a second hand account that apparently witnessed the accident and one is a post by a party that swung the arch right before the person who died but on a different setup. Posts #87 and #98

http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?62185-Corona-Arch-Rope-Swing/page5

The Larry

climber
Moab, UT
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2013 - 04:41pm PT
Weezy, JayFro was on the Castleton rescue. I haven't talked to him though.
Jon Beck

Trad climber
Oceanside
Mar 26, 2013 - 05:01pm PT
The posts on the Bogley site seem to indicate that the deceased tested the rope length with a small backpack (the size of a camelback), almost hitting hikers under the arch. This seems to point to dynamic stretch as the possible cause of the accident

Largo

Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
Mar 26, 2013 - 07:13pm PT
Very sad someone died trying to have a great time of it.

But man, for the wise ones who rigged that swing correctly, it sure looked like rush. A huge one. That's some kind of speed they carry.

Tie off short, fellahs!

JL
S.Leeper

Social climber
somewhere that doesnt have anything over 90'
Mar 26, 2013 - 07:43pm PT
Sounds horrific, sorry the young ones had to witness that.
S.Leeper

Social climber
somewhere that doesnt have anything over 90'
Mar 26, 2013 - 07:53pm PT
I wonder how this would translate to an equivalent car accident speed?
mechrist

Gym climber
South of Heaven
Mar 26, 2013 - 08:07pm PT
Isn't it like 1/2 mile (the height of El Crap) to reach terminal velocity (~100 mph)?

I witnessed and helped in a fatal car crash that occurred at about 30 mph. That was plenty gruesome... I can't imagine.
Reeotch

Trad climber
4 Corners Area
Mar 26, 2013 - 08:08pm PT
Ho man!

Really is too bad some kids witnessed that. I'm sure glad I didn't. Reading about it is bad enough.
jstan

climber
Mar 26, 2013 - 08:35pm PT
V=sqrt(2gh)
Big Mike

Trad climber
BC
Mar 26, 2013 - 08:58pm PT
The camelback nearly hit hikers? On the ground? Wow....















Wow
paganmonkeyboy

climber
mars...it's near nevada...
Mar 26, 2013 - 11:45pm PT
this has been the lead story on ksl news out here all day too...

My sincerest condolences to the family and friends - very very sad.
-Tom
Off White

climber
Tenino, WA
Mar 27, 2013 - 01:24am PT
Right, because nothing bad ever happens at sea.


Err, sorry Tami...
burntheman

Trad climber
slt
Mar 27, 2013 - 01:25am PT
The mean age in here is palpable... That looked fun as hell. Kids have and always will do stupid sh#t for kicks. With or without gopros. Bummer he died.

ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
bouldering
Mar 27, 2013 - 02:04am PT
The camelback test would at least intimate having a spotter at the bottom to report how close it was.
Big Mike

Trad climber
BC
Mar 27, 2013 - 02:21am PT
All of a sudden a rope and a bag - looked like a small camel back- came flying down and just about hit my daughter. My husband immediately starting yelling at the people above....

Sad....
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Mar 27, 2013 - 03:09am PT
hey there say, all...

:( my condolences to the family and loved ones, :(

and to the family that saw all this, as well...

:(
GuapoVino

Trad climber
Mar 27, 2013 - 11:03am PT
I saw a several videos on youtube of people jumping off this arch. A lot of them make it look like it's a big party and then there are of course lots of comments by people wanting to do it and asking really stupid questions about how to rig it up.

Here's a scren shot from one video. It shows how's he's tied in. He has two ropes going through two Grigris and then the end of the rope after if exits the Grigri is tied into a figure 8 with the loop being clipped into a gear loop on his harness. It also appears that he's cross loading his main carabiner by having the Grigri clipped into it and then clipped through his waist belt and his leg loops rather than through the belay loop.



Brian in SLC

Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
Mar 27, 2013 - 11:18am PT
Parents of man killed in arch swing accident preach caution
KSL - By Viviane Vo-Duc
March 26th, 2013 @ 7:02pm

WEST JORDAN — Their son attempted to swing from Corona Arch in Moab, but a miscalculation cost him his life.

On Tuesday, Mike and Linda Stocking spoke about their 22-year-old son, Kyle Stocking, and his love for adventure. They knew they couldn’t stop him, and they have advice for thrill-seekers:

"Think about your parents, your family, your friends before you do things like this, because you might lose your life, and it’s going to absolutely devastate your family," Linda Stocking said.

The couple said their son loved life and lived it to the fullest, and they knew that he was planning to go to Moab to do the jump.

“It was something that he wanted to do,” his mother said. “I finally learned a long time ago, you cannot change your children. They are going to do what they’re going to do.”

His parents had seen the YouTube video titled “World’s Largest Rope Swing” and were apprehensive about the trip.

"I didn't think he would do it,” she said. “But when I learned he was going to do it, I almost had to block it out of my mind that he was going to go, because if I sit there and think about everything that he does, I would go crazy. It’s too scary to me. I am not adventurous.”

Their son was an experienced rock climber, but he was overly excited and undertrained for this endeavor. The day he left on his trip, his parents were heading out to California.

“Before he left, I was standing at the bottom of the stairs, and he was standing at the top (waving) and saying, ‘Goodbye, Mom.’ I said, 'OK, please be careful and take care of each other.' ”

Kyle Stocking and five friends set up a rope swing on the natural arch Sunday afternoon. They miscalculated the length of the rope, however, and Stocking hit the ground when he tried to swing, sustaining fatal injuries. His parents got a call that evening.

“I couldn’t believe it was Kyle, just, just in disbelief,” his mother said in tears.

“It was the hardest phone call I ever received,” Mike Stocking said. “It’s a surreal thing. It’s almost like an out-of-body experience. Until a person ever goes through it, they will never understand how devastating that phone call is.”

The loss of his son hasn’t sunk in yet, he said. “I’m still waiting for him to come in (at lunch), waiting for someone to say, ‘Just kidding, this isn’t real.’ ”

He said he and his family are going through the grieving process.

“I pray that the young men and women who do things like this stop to think for a moment of the risks involved and those people left behind that are going to be broken-hearted,” he said.

His wife said if someone has the desire to do something and it’s their passion, they should do it. “But just be really safe,” she said. “Go with someone who has done it before. Learn. Be taught. Don’t just dive into it, because you may lose your life.”

They don’t believe his friends had ever done the jump or any kind of test on the rope beforehand. “(The rope) stretched too far,” Linda Stocking said. “They just miscalculated quite a ways, from what we understand.”

They met with Kyle’s friends Tuesday and shared the pain from the experience. “Our hearts are broken for the horrible thing they had to witness and the long, hard drive that they had coming back, knowing that their friend was gone,” Mike Stocking said.

The Stockings say they are also grateful to the nurse who helped their son and for members of their LDS faith who gave Kyle a blessing before he passed away.

His mother wants to go visit Corona Arch. “I want to hike where it is,” she said getting very emotional. “I want to see it, I want to be where he was the last time.”

An account* has been set up in Kyle Stocking's name at Granite Credit Union to help cover funeral costs. The funds will also go toward a memorial plaque that friends and family are hoping to place at the base of Corona Arch.

The Utah Trust Lands Administration will review the request.

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=24555020&nid...s_cid=queue-11
mechrist

Gym climber
South of Heaven
Mar 27, 2013 - 11:22am PT
wow Guapo...

Are those ropes damaged just above the gri^2
WBraun

climber
Mar 27, 2013 - 11:28am PT
I've done this "Rope Swing" stuff before.

I did it on a single rope.

But .... beside the point of single or double.

Why is this guy above using grigri as the main attachment point?

What is the reason for that?

I have no clue other than this is how they believe they can compensate for the length adjustment so they don't hit the ground?

Two prussiks would be more practical, and cheaper?
Don Paul

Big Wall climber
Colombia, South America
Mar 27, 2013 - 11:31am PT
I don't like that idea, of clipping into the gear loops. It's a weird detail but the knots couldn't go through the gri gris anyway.
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