Reading this story http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=516496
) and it's not a good one to fall down. While not exactly straight up and down the side of the canyon angles roughly anywhere between 70-80 degrees and is very rocky and lots of trees to pinball off of on the way down.
What gets me is that this guy obviously didn't give second thoughts about his own safety in order to rescue the baby girl (at 3 yrs. old they're still babies IMO). But as a rescuer and experienced hiker/climber it was a foolish risk to just dive down after the kid when he could've gotten help or gone lower to one of the switch-backs on the trail and try reaching her that way. The trail is paved and usually has a short retaining wall along the outer-edges, I can't imagine the girl actually walking off the edge of the trail.
The parents have to assume some responsibility in this tragedy because they should've kept an eye on the kid at all times to make sure she wasn't wandering too close to where she would fall, which she did.
I'd have to both applaud and call it foolish for this act of unselfishness. As I've been taught by SAR (search and rescues) the only way you're going to rescue someone is to make sure you're safe first. Two rescuers were injured trying to recover the body of the man who fell, which tells how dangerous it was just for them.
Even for the "life-flight" helicopter it was tough, the canyon at that spot where the cave is, is narrow and prone to high cross winds. They were at least at that elevation able to get the girl up and outta there.
Just wondering what ya'll think? Was it foolish or was it valant or was it both?
I know this trail (very well for obvious reasons
) and it's not a good one to fall down. While not exactly straight up and down the side of the canyon angles roughly anywhere between 70-80 degrees and is very rocky and lots of trees to pinball off of on the way down. What gets me is that this guy obviously didn't give second thoughts about his own safety in order to rescue the baby girl (at 3 yrs. old they're still babies IMO). But as a rescuer and experienced hiker/climber it was a foolish risk to just dive down after the kid when he could've gotten help or gone lower to one of the switch-backs on the trail and try reaching her that way. The trail is paved and usually has a short retaining wall along the outer-edges, I can't imagine the girl actually walking off the edge of the trail.
The parents have to assume some responsibility in this tragedy because they should've kept an eye on the kid at all times to make sure she wasn't wandering too close to where she would fall, which she did.
I'd have to both applaud and call it foolish for this act of unselfishness. As I've been taught by SAR (search and rescues) the only way you're going to rescue someone is to make sure you're safe first. Two rescuers were injured trying to recover the body of the man who fell, which tells how dangerous it was just for them.
Even for the "life-flight" helicopter it was tough, the canyon at that spot where the cave is, is narrow and prone to high cross winds. They were at least at that elevation able to get the girl up and outta there.
Just wondering what ya'll think? Was it foolish or was it valant or was it both?
