Re: Another Half Dome accident?!

I've heard a rumor that someone might fell off HD yesterday around 7pm. But I can't find any information about such thing so it might be an unsubstantiated rumor.

Did someone else hear about this?!

I just heard it was a suicide. Climber on the NW regular route called it in. The cables/trail was closed until around 10 am today.

I searched for half dome death and half dome suicide, came up with nothing recent.

Wow, how could anyone stand at either the base or the summit of Half Dome and think life wasn't worth living?

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mbear
Wow, how could anyone stand at either the base or the summit of Half Dome and think life wasn't worth living?

Actually, the Death in Yosemite book(I don't have a copy at hand) listed at least one of those. The guy removed his wallet and pack and just stepped off the famous overhang at the top.

That really upsets the climbers down below.

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wherever

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mbear
Wow, how could anyone stand at either the base or the summit of Half Dome and think life wasn't worth living?

Actually, the Death in Yosemite book(I don't have a copy at hand) listed at least one of those. The guy removed his wallet and pack and just stepped off the famous overhang at the top.

That really upsets the climbers down below.

That would be such a horrible way to die; I can't imagine free-falling for more than 10 seconds knowing what was coming.

I wonder if you pass out from fear before you hit?

I guess you don't remember the guy who flew all the way across the country to jump from the top of Yosemite Falls?

That was pretty recent. couple years ago, I think.

Suicidal people are literally not in their right mind - I do suicide assessments as part of my job. The degree to which any of us can fall prey to distorted thinking to that extent is pretty sobering.

you gotta give it to them though....epic way to die

Ooffta, firsthand account:
Death on NW Face of Half Dome

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nomenclature
Ooffta, firsthand account:
Death on NW Face of Half Dome

"After what seemed like a very long 5-6 seconds the body collided with the lower face about 300 feet from our vantage point and literally exploded."

Wow!

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nomenclature
Ooffta, firsthand account:
Death on NW Face of Half Dome

Dang, I feel sorry for the innocent visitors that witnessed this tragic event. That's not right.

The article says he was properly dressed and the weather was warm and dry. Either a suicide or an accident. Though if it were a suicide, that's a long way to walk.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/2011 01:03PM by rightstar76.

Here is a news report from the San Jose Mercury News. Los Gatos is on the southwest edge of San Jose.

excerpt:
Los Gatos hiker who died in from plunge from Yosemite's Half Dome is identified

By Mark Gomez and Lisa Fernandez

mgomez@mercurynews.com
Posted: 08/24/2011 10:48:04 AM PDT
Updated: 08/24/2011 11:06:37 AM PDT

A 23-year-old Los Gatos man has been identified as the hiker who died after falling off Half Dome on Monday night, according to Yosemite National Park officials.

The body of Ryan Leeder, 23, was spotted by park rangers on Tuesday and recovered from the base of Half Dome, according to officials. Reached by telephone, a family member who did not give her name would only say "we're on our way to Yosemite now to pick up his stuff. We can't talk. We're just really sad."

At 6:30 p.m. Monday, the Yosemite Emergency Communication Center received a report of a person falling down the sheer face of Half Dome. Park officials were unable to search for the climber because of the late hour, according to officials.

Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman said a group of rock climbers reported seeing the fall.

"At that point, there is nothing we could safely do, knowing a fall like that you can't survive," he said.

Rangers located the body on a rocky slope early Tuesday afternoon. They also recovered some personal items on the slope and on the summit believed to have belonged to the man. Park officials are assuming that the man ascended Half Dome by the trail and cables used by hikers, crossed the expansive summit and then fell or jumped 4,000 feet.
*****************************************************************************
The full story can be found here: http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_18747779?source=rss

On a related thread, a friend of the family said it was an accident.

Another soul lost at Half Dome

Do we have any witness supporting a suicide hypothesis?

Thousands of people pose for pictures on the Half Dome standing within feet of this drop off.
I wonder why we do not have much more incidents similar to this one.

Sometimes people are not careful enough in other places as well:
Teen Girl Falls Over Niagara Falls

When I was a teen I was driving down a highway and a careless driver pulled out of a side road, hit the rear quarterpanel of my car and sent my car off the road, rolling sideways. I rolled maybe 5 seconds before landing upright in a ditch and I walked away unhurt. But during those five seconds I figured this was it, I was dead and I really did see my life flash before my eyes, little snippets of childhood like looking at a slideshow in fast forward. I imagine the same thing would happen going over a waterfall or off the side of a cliff, there's the initial confusion and shock and then resignation that it's over and you give your life a quick review. I'm not sure why this happened, only that it did and it's a sensation I've never forgotten.

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Vince
When I was a teen I was driving down a highway and a careless driver pulled out of a side road, hit the rear quarterpanel of my car and sent my car off the road, rolling sideways. I rolled maybe 5 seconds before landing upright in a ditch and I walked away unhurt. But during those five seconds I figured this was it, I was dead and I really did see my life flash before my eyes, little snippets of childhood like looking at a slideshow in fast forward. I imagine the same thing would happen going over a waterfall or off the side of a cliff, there's the initial confusion and shock and then resignation that it's over and you give your life a quick review. I'm not sure why this happened, only that it did and it's a sensation I've never forgotten.

I had a similar experience after being thrown several feet off a bicycle that was hit by a car when I was in college. Images from childhood, sounds.... and what was wierd is that time seemed to be slow... like I saw a lot of stuff and it took along time ... but I'm sure in reality it was only been a second or two. Can't imagine what a fall that long would create in your head. Good Lord I hope that person who feel passed out quick. How horrifying.

Funny thing was, I had a second cycling accident four or five years and was thrown from the bike again and all I though this time as the ground seemed to rush up to meet my face is "sh*t, this is gonna hurt". Needless to say I do very little cycling now.

Is there an over/under this year for deaths? We're on pace for a very high-count year. Any guesses?

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tanngrisnir3
Is there an over/under this year for deaths? We're on pace for a very high-count year. Any guesses?

There is a long story into today's Mercury News about this case:
http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_18747779?source=rss

Basically, the guy had been struggling with mental illness, and had recently been released from being in jail for threatening behavior. His pack was found a mile away from the top, and it is likely that he was in a confused state when he fell...

The article also says that there have been 17 deaths in the park so far this year, compared to a normal 12 month total of 12 to 15. Those numbers would include heart attacks, etc, which you might not want to consider as relevant.

After reading that article I have to ask myself 2 questions...Did he ever meet up with the girl? And has she been accounted for?

Man Who Fell Off Half Dome Identified
Date: August 24, 2011

On Monday evening, August 22, 2011, at approximately 6:30 p.m., the Yosemite Emergency Communication Center received a report of a person falling off the face of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. Due to the late hour, Yosemite National Park Rangers were unable to initiate search efforts. Yesterday, August 23, 2011, the victim's body was spotted via helicopter and Park Rangers extricated the victim from the base of Half Dome.

The man has been identified as Ryan Leeder, 23 years old, of Los Gatos, California.

At this stage, the incident appears to be accidental, and remains under investigation. There is no further information available at this time.

Amazing that someone who is suicidal would hike all the way up there, when you can drive to Glacier Point and jump off there, much easier.

People who are suicidal tend not to think rationally.

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hotrod4x5
Amazing that someone who is suicidal would hike all the way up there, when you can drive to Glacier Point and jump off there, much easier.

The suicidal guy who climbed up to the precipice of Yosemite Falls didn't think that way.

For that matter, most of the illegal base jumpers don't think that way. Why are they hiking it in to Half Dome when they could probably just find a different place like Glacier Point? I guess it's their last statement, and perhaps they want to make it an iconic place like Half Dome.