Hiker Hell

Missing Hiker Found in Swollen River

2010-02-08T09:16:24Z

Who: 40-year-old Matthew Chidgey
Where: Wildwood Regional Park, California
His mistake: He was alone and possibly ventured too close to a swollen river
What happened: A man was anxious to see some nearby waterfalls after a large storm. He asked his roommate to go, but the roommate declined, so the man went by himself.

When the man didn’t return by the night time, his roommate reported him missing. More than 40 members of search and rescue teams looked for the man. The next morning, rescuers and family members also looking for him, found the lifeless body in a rain-swollen creek at the bottom of a steep, rugged canyon.

Authorities would like to remind hikers that rivers can stay swollen and potentially dangerous more than three days after the rainstorm.

Read the story here.

1 Skier, 1 Boy Die in Czech Avalanches

2010-02-08T09:14:20Z

Who: A 36-year-old man and a 13-year-old boy
Where: Northeast Czech Republic
Their mistake: One ignored warnings. The other just seemed like bad luck.
What happened: In two separate incidents, two people were killed in avalanches. In the first incident, a 36-year-old backcountry skier died in Northeast Czech Republic. Authorities said the man ignored avalanche advisories and skied anyway. He triggered an avalanche and died.

In another incident, a 13-year-old boy and his 15-year-old friend were sliding down a steep hill. A small avalanche was triggered and buried the 13-year-old boy. The 15-year-old ran for help, but by the time rescuers arrived, they were unable to resuscitate the boy.

Read the story here.

Skier Dies in Mount Mackie Avalanche

2010-02-02T16:51:55Z

Who: A man in his 30s
Where: Mount Mackie, British Columbia, Canada
His mistake: It’s unknown
What happened: A man and three of his friends – all in their 30s – snowmobiled into the B.C. backcountry for some skiing. During one of their ski descents, one of the skiers triggered an avalanche. Three of the men were able to get out of the way. The fourth was buried and died of his injuries.

The surviving skiers were able to ski to a hut where they made contact with a snow cat guide. The cat was able to assist the men in finding their friend, but because of the existing avalanche danger, the cat and the skiers were forced out of the area. A recovery mission will resume when conditions permit.

Authorities said the four men were experienced backcountry enthusiasts who all had avalanche rescue gear. Local authorities plan on closing the access road to the trailhead until snow conditions improve.

Read the story here.

Climbers Stranded on Kitt Peak Rescued

2010-02-02T16:50:06Z

Who: Two men
Where: Elephant Trunk, Kitt Peak, Arizona
Their mistake: It’s unknown
What happened: Two men were rapelling off of the Elephant Trunk on Kitt Peak and somehow became stuck. It is unclear what stopped them from completing the rappel.

Fortunately the men had a cell phone to call for help. The Southern Arizona Rescue Team and Pima County Sheriff’s Deputies were unable to do a nighttime rescue, so they used a chopper to drop off warm clothes and provisions for the men to make it through the night.

The next day, rescuers used 300 feet of rope to perform three rappels to rescue them. Rescuers were able to bring the climbers down to safety 25 hours after the ordeal began. There were no injuries reported.

Read the story here.

2 Skiers die in British Columbia Backcountry

2010-02-01T07:48:35Z

Who: An adult male and a teen male
Where: Out of bounds at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, British Columbia, Canada
Their mistake: They bit off more than they can chew
What happened: Three skiers decided to tackle some backcountry terrain. During their descent, they came across a steep, icy chute that they didn’t feel comfortable with. They took off their skis to get out, but they slipped and slid off the cliff below. Two of the skiers died. The other skier suffered a badly bruised ankle.

This is the latest in a string of backcountry ski and snowboard incidents in the area.

Read the story here.

Famed Italian Alpinist Dies in Avalanche

2010-02-01T07:45:40Z

Who: 34-year-old Luca Vuerich
Where: Kraniska Gora, Slovenia
His mistake: Bad luck
What happened: Famed Italian Alpinist, Luca Vuerich, was climbing in the mountains near Kraniska Gora when a large avalanche swept him away. He was rescued by fellow climbers and transported to a local hospital where he eventually succumbed to his injuries. There are no reported details of the incident, what the trigger was or how large the slide was.

Read the story here.

Lost Snowboarders Rescued After Dark

2010-02-01T07:40:54Z

Who: A husband and wife, both 44 years old
Where: Powder Mountain, Utah
Their mistake: They wanted to get one more run in and got caught in fog
What happened: A husband and wife wanted to get one more lap in at Powder Mountain in Utah. Their plan was to follow the same line as the previous run. As they descended the mountain, a dense fog rolled in and the couple became disoriented. They ended up snowboarding down a different direction into a backcountry area of the mountain.

When they realized they were lost, and darkness set in, the couple decided to hunker down until morning. A Powder Mountain employee who knew the couple saw their car in the parking lot after hours. He checked their house and couldn’t find them so he called for help.

A snowmobile team found their tracks and followed them until it became too dangerous. The snowmobile team then notified a helicopter team who eventually located the couple. The husband and wife started a campfire that was easy for rescuers to spot. The snowboarders were in “great” condition when they were found.

Read the story here.

Two Teens Dead After Camping Car Accident

2010-01-30T09:02:08Z

Who: A 19-year-old boy and girl
Where: Molong, NSW, Australia
Their mistake: Bad luck
What happened: Two teens, part of a larger group of 30, were camping in Molong. While sleeping in their tent, a 17-year-old teen was moving a Ute through the campground and somehow ran over the tent, killing the two teens. It is unclear how the accident happened.

Read the story here.

Hiker Dies of Possible Hypothermia

2010-01-30T08:56:30Z

Who: A young adult male
Where: Florida Trail, Okeechobee County, Florida
His mistake: He was hiking alone and wearing insufficient clothing
What happened: Hikers came across the body of a young adult male while hiking the Florida Trail in Okeechobee County. The dead man was only wearing cargo shorts, a t-shirt and a light windbreaker.

Authorities believe the man may have become delayed the day before and forced to survive in the wilderness and freezing temperatures. There were no reports of missing persons.

Read the story here.

Army Lieutenant Dies in Rock Climbing Fall after Iraq Tour

2010-01-28T13:10:51Z

Where: Makaha Valley, Hawaii
His mistake: It’s unknown if it was a human error or equipment failure
What happened: One week after a First Lieutenant returned from a tour in Iraq, he and his friends went on a grueling two-day hiking trip bushwacking through jungle forests and traversing ridges. During the trip, the Lieutenant and a friend were horsing around and a backpack dropped down a ridge.

Another week later, the Lieutenant and a friend went back to the cliff to retrieve the bag. The Lieutenant started to rappel down the cliff when he somehow fell 400 feet to his death. There are no reports indicating if the accident was caused by human error or mechanical/gear failure.

Read the story here.