Who: Two men
Where: East Buttress route (5.7), Mt. Whitney, California
Their mistake: Bad luck
What happened: Two climbers were on their final push to the summit of Mt. Whitney on the East Buttress route, a 5.7 scramble/climb to the peak of the mountain. While the men were on a ledge at 13,500 feet, a large rock fell and struck one of the men on the helmet and back. The man was pushed off of the ledge and fell an unknown distance. He was experiencing neck and back pain and tingling on his left side.
The climber’s friend rappelled down to the injured climber, but he was in a lot of pain. A phone call was made around 10 p.m. reporting the incident. The climbers were able to continue down the steep face of Mt. Whitney before making their way back to camp at Iceberg Lake.
A chopper flew a ranger and medic to the location. The temperature at the time was 3 degrees. The injured man was packaged and transported to a local hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured scapula, broken ribs, and a compression fracture on his spine.
Read the story here.
My name is Andy Smith. I am the unfortunate climber who was hit by the falling rock on The East Buttress of Mt. Whitney. I would like to express my sincere appreication to my friend and fellow climber, Scott Adams and the crew of Sequoia Kings Rescue that rescue me. Due to their efforts I am at home now and recovering well. I’m looking forward to my next accident free adventure. Thanks again and stay strong.