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vôo
climber
Denver, CO
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Jan 30, 2016 - 04:29pm PT
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Condolences to the friends and family.
not many get to go out a hero like Rami Kajala. he probably knew what his chances were trying to rescue someone in the freezing surf wrapped up in dyneema and a couple hundred square feet of wing. I can't imagine the desperation he was feeling
Number one in his sport
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Rollover
climber
Gross Vegas
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Jan 30, 2016 - 08:08pm PT
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RIP.
Frank was found 7/7/99. Same day Thor Alex Kappfjell died in Norway from a cliff strike.
Werner is correct again.
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Sula
Trad climber
Pennsylvania
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Jan 30, 2016 - 08:53pm PT
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Detailed description here, from a friend of the two jumpers who has either seen the video or spoken at length with someone who has.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 30, 2016 - 09:44pm PT
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hey there say, sula...
:(
thank you for the update... i am keeping the prayers going
for his family... :(
(and hers, too, as it is a double tragic situation, of course--but his family is so far away,
it just seems worse in a deeper way, from a different angle)...
:(
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rob_gendreau
Mountain climber
Oakland CA
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I get the statements about the jumping.
It's the prep, or lack thereof, for contingencies on landing I don't get.
I whitewater boat, sail, and climb, and hence I have a healthy fear of drowning and how gear, and especially big pieces of fabric and lines, facilitate that watery grave. That's why boaters have knives on their vests, quick releases on harnesses for kite surfing, etc.
What about parasailers and jumpers and those with giant sea anchors? I mean military paratroopers must jump near water all the time? what's the SOP for that?
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fear
Ice climber
hartford, ct
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I always had a razor sharp knife in a sheath right on my chest.
However, the realities of trying to cut tough cords whilst being smashed and drowned are quite different than it would seem on dry ground.
Whitewater is sometimes deceptively "small" when viewed from above. It's only when you're in it, or under it, that it's power becomes apparent.
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The guy above
climber
Across the pond
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Rob, all skydive rigs have cutaway systems, and SOP for a water landing is to cutaway the canopy if the water is moving or if currents are dragging you. As part of the licensing system water landing training is mandatory, and that involves actually jumping into the water with all kit on and canopy out. At my local DZ we even do annual water jumps in which we do a normal skydive but land in the drink.
Besides that, it is standard to carry a rescue (hook) knife which is designed to cut through webbing and lines. However they have proven to be ineffective at best when the stress of a situation and a clusterf*#k of lines all over the place are involved.
Base rigs normally also have a cutaway system for instances of water/tree landings and also useful if strong wind gusts are dragging you on the ground to somewhere you'd rather not be. Some people order lightweight rigs without cutaways when they are not going to be jumping near bodies of water and accept they may have to cut through the webbing or lines if they end up in a tree. You can see one being used towards the end of this video
Both Rami and Katie had cutaways, but its not known if she had a chance to use it or even if it would have helped at all.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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I don't think I'd want to join an organization called the Finish Basejumping Association.
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brotherbbock
Trad climber
Alta Loma, CA
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Kind of reminds me of Michael Reardon's tragic end.
It wasn't free soloing that got him, but a fricken rogue wave.
Tragic story....condolences to all family and friends.
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Yes, TGA is correct, but man, when you guys start going about anything BASE, you get it sooooo wrong. Yes, it is a low object. No, it isn't too low. The thing must have seen 500 jumps by now. I had a buddy who used to do it every time he drove past. So doing it isn't that big of a deal.
It is far enough from the ocean that you have time to jump, do a 180, and land in the sand. I'm amazed that the two drowned here. The girl had enough skydives so that she must have had water training.
A parachute is pretty simple. You have a pilot chute that pulls out the main, 2 handles on the risers to control flight, and all rigs have a little pud handle, right there on your chest, to cut away the main if you need to. I've had about a dozen skydiving malfunctions, and you don't have to be a genius to cut away a main. Base rigs don't have a reserve handle. They are single parachute systems.
People used to cut away their mains and run like hell if the rangers were after them. Then the rangers would use the serial number on the main in an attempt to track them down and arrest them back in the old days.
This one is baffling. It must have been some REALLY bad surf for this to happen. The girl should have cut away the main and swam back to shore. The only thing that would prevent this (other than a riptide or something along those lines) would have been if the canopy came down on top of her.
That is how you are trained. You are in a pool, they toss a parachute and all of the lines over you, and you swim out from it. If she was in 6 foot seas, that might have been too hard for her, but I've done a ton of BASE jumps into Lake Powell (a cliff going right into water. no beach), and in good conditions it is perfectly simple to swim out even without cutting away.
The only reason NOT to cut it away is the expense of the canopy. They are really expensive.
Anyway, this accident, like most accidents, didn't need to happen.
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Sula
Trad climber
Pennsylvania
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BASE104 posted:
This one is baffling. It must have been some REALLY bad surf for this to happen. The girl should have cut away the main and swam back to shore. The only thing that would prevent this (other than a riptide or something along those lines) would have been if the canopy came down on top of her.
From the detailed description linked above:
She landed in the wash Of the waves. Her canopy fell behind her in the breaking waves. She was immediately in a struggle in which she was outmatched, as most anyone would have been. Other jumpers have lost canopies on much better conditions. No evidence of the cutaway handle being used or if it would have helped in this situation. She had one on her rig.
Yes - baffling.
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Flip Flop
climber
Earth Planet, Universe
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There were killer waves from the King Tide. I live nearby and know the beach well. The Big Sur coast is a very serious coastline.
Base guessed 500 jumps but I would guess closer to 2000. I'm just reverse engineering based on the 1/1000 BASE jumps is fatal estimate. I've seen statistical rebalancing with much more carnage. Laws of Nature, Science, something something something.
Wall o' text in 3,2,1
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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"Scared? Yeah, I was terrified. But I was flying."
-A young lady upon completion of her first ever parapent flight.
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