A boy scout got stuck in Zero G last Wednesday. This is what I have learned from the group leader. I relate the story so that we can learn from the experience and not to condemn anyone involved. I’ve had members of groups I have led become stuck and I’m not trying to throw stones but would like to use the experience to start a discussion of ideas on how to free someone that is stuck. I know an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure but lets just assume they are stuck now what do you do?
First, the story as related to me. I was not there:
“On Wednesday June 16, 2010 a group of Venture Scouts hiked the canyon known as Zero Gravity (aka Little Iron Wash) in the San Rafael Swell. All went well until the exit. We had one large boy (estimated weight is about 265 – 280 lbs) who I had worries about regarding the last portion. Sure enough at the choke stone he would not/could not go over the stone as instructed and elected to stay low. He did not stay high enough under the choke stone or move far enough down canyon before trying to descend through the crack. He got his legs and hips through but got his torso stuck in the crack with his legs hanging free. His initial attempt at the exit was at about 2 pm. He was not wearing a harness. None of us were. We had 50′ of webbing, 2 x 25′ lengths of webbing, 30′ of static rope, a few carabiners, a belay device, and a figure 8. We had used the rope and 50′ length of webbing to assist in some of the down climbs with success. After about 5 minutes of trying to get himself out he started to panic. I climbed down to assist and see if I could give him directions on how to free himself. From my vantage point just up canyon from the choke stone I could see that he was very close to getting free. He needed to get higher and down canyon and could drop through the bomb bay doors and out along the 50′ length of webbing. We had a group behind us and the leader of that group came up to the choke stone to assist. He and I rigged some ladders for our boy’s feet and hung them from the choke stone and rigged some handles with an ascender and some webbing for his hands. We tried for about an hour to get our boy to free himself using the ladders and handles but our boy could not pull himself free with those tools. After the hour it became obvious that we did not possess the gear or skills to get him free. At this point his chest and shoulders were free. He had one boy in our party climb up and allowed the stuck boy to stand on his shoulders for about 3 hours. Others would take turns supporting him. We had a Satellite Phone and sent one of the people who were ahead of our stuck boy to the car where another in our party was waiting for us. The leader at the car used the Sat phone and his On-Star system in his Chevy truck to contact 911. For the next 1.5 hours he worked with On-Star until help arrived. The first on the scene was an EMT from Green River. This was about 6 pm. She climbed up and gave our boy a break. She brought soap that the boy applied to his back and stomach. From her vantage point she thought we could free him by coming down. They spent the next 1.5 hours trying to get him to go lower. When they were finished he was stuck just about at his chest. At about 7:30 a Sherriff repelled down but did not help much. I believe that they did not fully understand the situation and were focusing on the 7 from our group that were at the open area just before the last slot and the group behind us. They all had to ascend out of the canyon. He gave me a 4:1 pulley system that I tried to rig in the slot to pull our boy back up canyon but I was unable to do it. I told the sheriff that we needed more bodies down below and maybe someone in with me as I was getting tired and dim witted. One of our boys hiked to the car and met up with a deputy; he told the deputy that our boy as still stuck but conscious and with no discernable injuries. At that point the deputy took off up canyon. He arrived about 9 pm. Once on the scene, he climbed up to our boy and with the help of some others made human pyramid. Once at the same level as our boy he told him that he was going to get him out. His energy was infectious. Our boy did not have a chance to doubt or complain or panic. The deputy grabbed our boy by the shirt and shorts and pulled him free in about 5 minutes. If that did not work I believe they were going to put a harness on him and pull him up. He was free at about 9 pm. Shortly after I got to the cars our other boys arrived. They all ascended the ropes or were pulled out. I thought all we needed was a few more people and some leverage. Our boy was tired and not all that helpful with extricating himself when he had energy so it was obvious we needed more help to get him free. If it were a smaller (lighter) boy we may have been able to lift him free from the choke stone. I could not provide the upwards leverage from the choke stone safely and I am not sure he would’ve been any help or been able to hold on to anything and I not sure how we would’ve rigged a harness that would not have slipped off as I pulled. Pulling the boy’s legs from the bottom was too risky. We did not have think of pulling him down canyon and I am not sure how I could’ve got into that position with the tools and numbers we had. In hind sight, he was too large to attempt this canyon but I thought he could do it and that it would be a great experience for him – conquer a difficult canyon. I still think it turned out well but not in the way I first expected. “
The canyons group has had lots of stories over the years about people getting stuck. Some that I remember the best are the Chambers incident, Pandora’s, and Ram relating how to meet one’s fears and get through some truly narrow places. From this I have a few principles. 1. Try not to panic. Easy for me to say. I remember the young lady in Pandora’s. She remained cool, calm, and collected the whole time. 2. I remember having two scouts stuck in Nutty Putty Cave, One large guy stuck in Anaszi canyon, my brother stuck twice in the Cathedral group. Usually we solved the problem by having overwhelming numbers. Guys up above, guys in front, guys in back, pushing, pulling, and lifting sometimes with a mechanical advantage. There are some advantages to big groups of diverse people with different talents. 3. I remember my first trip through Choprock and one person misjudged and came down to soon. It seemed like Jeff Dredge was instrumental in freeing him. Sometimes having someone who is really strong helps. 4. I like having them in a harness so there can be an attachment point to lift but sometimes that can also get stuck and make things harder. I remember one boy in Nutty Putty cave that we got off his belt and he almost came out and I think he was down to underwear before he was finally free. 5. I haven’t carried a bolt kit in years but that seems like it may come in handy at times. How about a saw and some wood to try to jam under their feet? 6. Relaxation often helps. Fat is fairly easy to move around but the pelvis and chest don’t move much. 7. This story mentions how the deputy inspired the boy removed the doubt about getting free. I remember doing Shenanigan’s with Tom Jones. Parts were tight and my chest hurt for a couple weeks afterwards but there was Tom doing it and if he could get through I could to so I didn’t question. Having a positive attitude is a big one. 8. I did refuse to take some people because they were too fat and I got my wife mad at me once by refusing to take one of my brother-in-laws on a particular canyon for that reason.
So what are your pearls to free a stuck canyoneers?
garet1962
We had someone get stuck in Trail a year ago, where the slot drops down into the pool (beside the “non-Moki” steps). They were not stuck physically, but very stuck mentally with a panic attack. Waist deep in water in a narrow slot, they were unable to rotate their head due to having a sun visor under the climbing helmet and thus could not see to reverse. Slimy walls below water level didn’t help. With an excellent shelf above two people were able to easily lift the (very light) person out. The biggest challenge was getting loops of rope in place for pulling. Due to panic, the stuckee was almost no help at all. Based on these recent posts, I suspect that calmness on the part of the stuckee is a huge factor in almost any extraction. A little panic goes a long way.
Gordon
Yikes. I don’t like that spot, or really tight slots in general. I’m not heavy, but unusually thick through the chest, so that’s where I get stuck. I have to go high in Egypt 3.
Anyway, I remember dorking around a bit at the spot where the kid got stuck. I got through without having to go way way out, but it was tricky finding the absolute widest spot. At the exit point, I was suspended by my chest and shoulders, just hanging securely with no extra effort, legs and hips free of the slot, talking to my spotters. They were able to just reach my feet. At that point I exhaled completely and tried to be light. Plop. Scary. Not worth it for me. I’d rather just go hiking than mess with that stuff.
Gordon
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “orsdoc” wrote:
> A boy scout got stuck in Zero G last Wednesday. This is what I have learned from the group leader. I relate the story so that we can learn from the experience and not to condemn anyone involved. I’ve had members of groups I have led become stuck and I’m not trying to throw stones but would like to use the experience to start a discussion of ideas on how to free someone that is stuck. I know an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure but lets just assume they are stuck now what do you do?
First, the story as related to me. I was not there:
“On Wednesday June 16, 2010 a group of Venture Scouts hiked the canyon known as Zero Gravity (aka Little Iron Wash) in the San Rafael Swell. All went well until the exit. We had one large boy (estimated weight is about 265 – 280 lbs) who I had worries about regarding the last portion. Sure enough at the choke stone he would not/could not go over the stone as instructed and elected to stay low. He did not stay high enough under the choke stone or move far enough down canyon before trying to descend through the crack. He got his legs and hips through but got his torso stuck in the crack with his legs hanging free. > His initial attempt at the exit was at about 2 pm. He was not wearing a harness. None of us were. We had 50′ of webbing, 2 x 25′ lengths of webbing, 30′ of static rope, a few carabiners, a belay device, and a figure 8. We had used the rope and 50′ length of webbing to assist in some of the down climbs with success. > After about 5 minutes of trying to get himself out he started to panic. I climbed down to assist and see if I could give him directions on how to free himself. From my vantage point just up canyon from the choke stone I could see that he was very close to getting free. He needed to get higher and down canyon and could drop through the bomb bay doors and out along the 50′ length of webbing. We had a group behind us and the leader of that group came up to the choke stone to assist. He and I rigged some ladders for our boy’s feet and hung them from the choke stone and rigged some handles with an ascender and some webbing for his hands. We tried for about an hour to get our boy to free himself using the ladders and handles but our boy could not pull himself free with those tools. After the hour it became obvious that we did not possess the gear or skills to get him free. At this point his chest and shoulders were free. He had one boy in our party climb up and allowed the stuck boy to stand on his shoulders for about 3 hours. Others would take turns supporting him. > We had a Satellite Phone and sent one of the people who were ahead of our stuck boy to the car where another in our party was waiting for us. The leader at the car used the Sat phone and his On-Star system in his Chevy truck to contact 911. For the next 1.5 hours he worked with On-Star until help arrived. > The first on the scene was an EMT from Green River. This was about 6 pm. She climbed up and gave our boy a break. She brought soap that the boy applied to his back and stomach. From her vantage point she thought we could free him by coming down. They spent the next 1.5 hours trying to get him to go lower. When they were finished he was stuck just about at his chest. At about 7:30 a Sherriff repelled down but did not help much. I believe that they did not fully understand the situation and were focusing on the 7 from our group that were at the open area just before the last slot and the group behind us. They all had to ascend out of the canyon. He gave me a 4:1 pulley system that I tried to rig in the slot to pull our boy back up canyon but I was unable to do it. I told the sheriff that we needed more bodies down below and maybe someone in with me as I was getting tired and dim witted. > One of our boys hiked to the car and met up with a deputy; he told the deputy that our boy as still stuck but conscious and with no discernable injuries. At that point the deputy took off up canyon. He arrived about 9 pm. Once on the scene, he climbed up to our boy and with the help of some others made human pyramid. Once at the same level as our boy he told him that he was going to get him out. His energy was infectious. Our boy did not have a chance to doubt or complain or panic. The deputy grabbed our boy by the shirt and shorts and pulled him free in about 5 minutes. If that did not work I believe they were going to put a harness on him and pull him up. He was free at about 9 pm. Shortly after I got to the cars our other boys arrived. They all ascended the ropes or were pulled out. > I thought all we needed was a few more people and some leverage. Our boy was tired and not all that helpful with extricating himself when he had energy so it was obvious we needed more help to get him free. If it were a smaller (lighter) boy we may have been able to lift him free from the choke stone. I could not provide the upwards leverage from the choke stone safely and I am not sure he would’ve been any help or been able to hold on to anything and I not sure how we would’ve rigged a harness that would not have slipped off as I pulled. Pulling the boy’s legs from the bottom was too risky. We did not have think of pulling him down canyon and I am not sure how I could’ve got into that position with the tools and numbers we had. > In hind sight, he was too large to attempt this canyon but I thought he could do it and that it would be a great experience for him – conquer a difficult canyon. I still think it turned out well but not in the way I first expected. ”
The canyons group has had lots of stories over the years about people getting stuck. Some that I remember the best are the Chambers incident, Pandora’s, and Ram relating how to meet one’s fears and get through some truly narrow places. From this I have a few principles. > 1. Try not to panic. Easy for me to say. I remember the young lady in Pandora’s. She remained cool, calm, and collected the whole time. > 2. I remember having two scouts stuck in Nutty Putty Cave, One large guy stuck in Anaszi canyon, my brother stuck twice in the Cathedral group. Usually we solved the problem by having overwhelming numbers. Guys up above, guys in front, guys in back, pushing, pulling, and lifting sometimes with a mechanical advantage. There are some advantages to big groups of diverse people with different talents. > 3. I remember my first trip through Choprock and one person misjudged and came down to soon. It seemed like Jeff Dredge was instrumental in freeing him. Sometimes having someone who is really strong helps. > 4. I like having them in a harness so there can be an attachment point to lift but sometimes that can also get stuck and make things harder. I remember one boy in Nutty Putty cave that we got off his belt and he almost came out and I think he was down to underwear before he was finally free. > 5. I haven’t carried a bolt kit in years but that seems like it may come in handy at times. How about a saw and some wood to try to jam under their feet? > 6. Relaxation often helps. Fat is fairly easy to move around but the pelvis and chest don’t move much. > 7. This story mentions how the deputy inspired the boy removed the doubt about getting free. I remember doing Shenanigan’s with Tom Jones. Parts were tight and my chest hurt for a couple weeks afterwards but there was Tom doing it and if he could get through I could to so I didn’t question. Having a positive attitude is a big one. > 8. I did refuse to take some people because they were too fat and I got my wife mad at me once by refusing to take one of my brother-in-laws on a particular canyon for that reason.
So what are your pearls to free a stuck canyoneers? >
Sonny
I am on the Cave and Technical Rescue team in southern California. We had a similar rescue in a San Diego cave a few weeks ago. That went well. These experiences and the events in Nutty Putty cave are fodder for discussions of how to attach to a person. You may not have access to a harness. You may not be able to get rope or sling around or under the person. You may only have an appendage staring you in the face. The idea we have kicked around is like the Chinese finger puzzle. Take webbing and do a French braid around the arm or leg. It would have to be fairly snug. As it is pulled on, it will get tighter. Note: we have not tried this. We have only discussed it. It might destroy the limb but save the life. It certainly is a last resort approach.
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “orsdoc” wrote:
> A boy scout got stuck in Zero G last Wednesday. This is what I have learned from the group leader. I relate the story so that we can learn from the experience and not to condemn anyone involved. I’ve had members of groups I have led become stuck and I’m not trying to throw stones but would like to use the experience to start a discussion of ideas on how to free someone that is stuck. I know an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure but lets just assume they are stuck now what do you do?
First, the story as related to me. I was not there:
“On Wednesday June 16, 2010 a group of Venture Scouts hiked the canyon known as Zero Gravity (aka Little Iron Wash) in the San Rafael Swell. All went well until the exit. We had one large boy (estimated weight is about 265 – 280 lbs) who I had worries about regarding the last portion. Sure enough at the choke stone he would not/could not go over the stone as instructed and elected to stay low. He did not stay high enough under the choke stone or move far enough down canyon before trying to descend through the crack. He got his legs and hips through but got his torso stuck in the crack with his legs hanging free. > His initial attempt at the exit was at about 2 pm. He was not wearing a harness. None of us were. We had 50′ of webbing, 2 x 25′ lengths of webbing, 30′ of static rope, a few carabiners, a belay device, and a figure 8. We had used the rope and 50′ length of webbing to assist in some of the down climbs with success. > After about 5 minutes of trying to get himself out he started to panic. I climbed down to assist and see if I could give him directions on how to free himself. From my vantage point just up canyon from the choke stone I could see that he was very close to getting free. He needed to get higher and down canyon and could drop through the bomb bay doors and out along the 50′ length of webbing. We had a group behind us and the leader of that group came up to the choke stone to assist. He and I rigged some ladders for our boy’s feet and hung them from the choke stone and rigged some handles with an ascender and some webbing for his hands. We tried for about an hour to get our boy to free himself using the ladders and handles but our boy could not pull himself free with those tools. After the hour it became obvious that we did not possess the gear or skills to get him free. At this point his chest and shoulders were free. He had one boy in our party climb up and allowed the stuck boy to stand on his shoulders for about 3 hours. Others would take turns supporting him. > We had a Satellite Phone and sent one of the people who were ahead of our stuck boy to the car where another in our party was waiting for us. The leader at the car used the Sat phone and his On-Star system in his Chevy truck to contact 911. For the next 1.5 hours he worked with On-Star until help arrived. > The first on the scene was an EMT from Green River. This was about 6 pm. She climbed up and gave our boy a break. She brought soap that the boy applied to his back and stomach. From her vantage point she thought we could free him by coming down. They spent the next 1.5 hours trying to get him to go lower. When they were finished he was stuck just about at his chest. At about 7:30 a Sherriff repelled down but did not help much. I believe that they did not fully understand the situation and were focusing on the 7 from our group that were at the open area just before the last slot and the group behind us. They all had to ascend out of the canyon. He gave me a 4:1 pulley system that I tried to rig in the slot to pull our boy back up canyon but I was unable to do it. I told the sheriff that we needed more bodies down below and maybe someone in with me as I was getting tired and dim witted. > One of our boys hiked to the car and met up with a deputy; he told the deputy that our boy as still stuck but conscious and with no discernable injuries. At that point the deputy took off up canyon. He arrived about 9 pm. Once on the scene, he climbed up to our boy and with the help of some others made human pyramid. Once at the same level as our boy he told him that he was going to get him out. His energy was infectious. Our boy did not have a chance to doubt or complain or panic. The deputy grabbed our boy by the shirt and shorts and pulled him free in about 5 minutes. If that did not work I believe they were going to put a harness on him and pull him up. He was free at about 9 pm. Shortly after I got to the cars our other boys arrived. They all ascended the ropes or were pulled out. > I thought all we needed was a few more people and some leverage. Our boy was tired and not all that helpful with extricating himself when he had energy so it was obvious we needed more help to get him free. If it were a smaller (lighter) boy we may have been able to lift him free from the choke stone. I could not provide the upwards leverage from the choke stone safely and I am not sure he would’ve been any help or been able to hold on to anything and I not sure how we would’ve rigged a harness that would not have slipped off as I pulled. Pulling the boy’s legs from the bottom was too risky. We did not have think of pulling him down canyon and I am not sure how I could’ve got into that position with the tools and numbers we had. > In hind sight, he was too large to attempt this canyon but I thought he could do it and that it would be a great experience for him – conquer a difficult canyon. I still think it turned out well but not in the way I first expected. ”
The canyons group has had lots of stories over the years about people getting stuck. Some that I remember the best are the Chambers incident, Pandora’s, and Ram relating how to meet one’s fears and get through some truly narrow places. From this I have a few principles. > 1. Try not to panic. Easy for me to say. I remember the young lady in Pandora’s. She remained cool, calm, and collected the whole time. > 2. I remember having two scouts stuck in Nutty Putty Cave, One large guy stuck in Anaszi canyon, my brother stuck twice in the Cathedral group. Usually we solved the problem by having overwhelming numbers. Guys up above, guys in front, guys in back, pushing, pulling, and lifting sometimes with a mechanical advantage. There are some advantages to big groups of diverse people with different talents. > 3. I remember my first trip through Choprock and one person misjudged and came down to soon. It seemed like Jeff Dredge was instrumental in freeing him. Sometimes having someone who is really strong helps. > 4. I like having them in a harness so there can be an attachment point to lift but sometimes that can also get stuck and make things harder. I remember one boy in Nutty Putty cave that we got off his belt and he almost came out and I think he was down to underwear before he was finally free. > 5. I haven’t carried a bolt kit in years but that seems like it may come in handy at times. How about a saw and some wood to try to jam under their feet? > 6. Relaxation often helps. Fat is fairly easy to move around but the pelvis and chest don’t move much. > 7. This story mentions how the deputy inspired the boy removed the doubt about getting free. I remember doing Shenanigan’s with Tom Jones. Parts were tight and my chest hurt for a couple weeks afterwards but there was Tom doing it and if he could get through I could to so I didn’t question. Having a positive attitude is a big one. > 8. I did refuse to take some people because they were too fat and I got my wife mad at me once by refusing to take one of my brother-in-laws on a particular canyon for that reason.
So what are your pearls to free a stuck canyoneers? >
RAM
I remember Scott Patterson on a January 2nd in Arches. I had my own day with the Beast and it damaged my “head” for years. But for sheer volume, there is the Sku…I mean Stuckman!! In 6 different canyons, spanning the far corners of the Colorado Plateau, boldly going forward with an unrealistic body view, this man has distinguished himself!! Upright? Sure! Sideways? A few times!. Upside down? You betcha!! Our hero never panics. just calmly asks for HELP!! LOL! Kidding aside, the man is cool and calm under fire or stuck like a….you know;-). Or the guy who fully suspended himself on his piranha by his….you know. The guy hates me now cause I said he would fit in the canyon. How was I suppose to know he was gonna play teeter totter on his….?…..you know. I get to see him for the first time since then, in August. I can’t wait!
All playfulness aside, I can offer some advice here. I was once stuck, at the hips, suspended a few feet off the ground, with my daughter Amy on my shoulders, in Alcatraz. She was maybe 7 at the time? I was trying to keep her dry and…..well….I couldn’t stem over far enough. I asked for help and Dirk took Amy off of me and started to leave. WAIT!!! Efforts to stand up on his knee. Or push me up? All failed. What worked was rotating my feet back and forth like a lever. This had the effect of rotating my hips and I started to ride up on the constriction and out of Stuckdom. This method has helped others, including the Stuckman, to be free again. I am not sure if it would have worked for this kid as he was stuck at the chest, but it certainly would be what I would try first. Surprisingly effective method. Ram
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “phil” wrote:
Scary for the rescuee and rescuer. I never liked the super tight slot canyons and have stayed away from them over the years (probably good as my southern blood has taken its toll on my waist the last 5 years). That said, one instance of a customer getting stuck in one of the Leprechaun forks really stands out.
Three brothers of different sizes and different skills. Learned not to let the skinniest person go first after this trip. I went high and the skinniest went low. Unfortunately, the largest guy followed him through one of the narrowest sections. He wasn’t wedged nearly as good as this kid in Zero Gravity but it took us 30 minutes to get him out. He was beat up and tired afterward and didn’t speak much again until dinner. Really worked that day. Before that I had to, in order to earn a good tip, go upside down to grab a fallen object from one of the clients that got wedged in the bottom.
I would never guide those canyons again. Got tired of people walking on my shoulders through places like Shenanigans. Most of the time the clients preferred the wider canyons with water and rappels anyways.
Glad all were safe in Zero.
Phillip
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “roadtripry” wrote:
A boy scout got stuck in Zero G last Wednesday.
> Wow, that made me tense just reading it. Poor kid.
I have been wedged good once, and only once.
>
phil
Scary for the rescuee and rescuer. I never liked the super tight slot canyons and have stayed away from them over the years (probably good as my southern blood has taken its toll on my waist the last 5 years). That said, one instance of a customer getting stuck in one of the Leprechaun forks really stands out.
Three brothers of different sizes and different skills. Learned not to let the skinniest person go first after this trip. I went high and the skinniest went low. Unfortunately, the largest guy followed him through one of the narrowest sections. He wasn’t wedged nearly as good as this kid in Zero Gravity but it took us 30 minutes to get him out. He was beat up and tired afterward and didn’t speak much again until dinner. Really worked that day. Before that I had to, in order to earn a good tip, go upside down to grab a fallen object from one of the clients that got wedged in the bottom.
I would never guide those canyons again. Got tired of people walking on my shoulders through places like Shenanigans. Most of the time the clients preferred the wider canyons with water and rappels anyways.
Glad all were safe in Zero.
Phillip
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “roadtripry” wrote:
A boy scout got stuck in Zero G last Wednesday.
Wow, that made me tense just reading it. Poor kid.
I have been wedged good once, and only once. >
roadtripry
A boy scout got stuck in Zero G last Wednesday. >
Wow, that made me tense just reading it. Poor kid.
I have been wedged good once, and only once.
This particular time, I was wiggling through a tight spot before a large silo when I felt my hips slip down and “key” in. If you’ve ever had it happen, you know what I mean. Sorta like placing a good nut while climbing, you can tell as soon as it slips in, it’s in good. Yikes!
Although a challenge, I fought the urge to shriek like a school girl, and asked my partners for help. Jon, a caver of immense talent, imparted on me his caver words of wisdom:
“Your not stuck if you can still move anything.”
For me, what got me out was calming down, and thinking about the exact path my hips had taken to get into this spot. I don’t know the total time I was stuck, maybe 10 minutes, but it felt much longer. Not having free will to move definitely poked at some primal fear deep in me. Fortunately I had arms relatively free, and could us them to help out. Because of the geometry, and large silo, partners couldn’t really do anything to help.
I worked and worked, moving a minute amount with each wiggle, until I reversed the course my hips took in.
Honestly, it would scare me to either be pulled by partners, or to pull on a partner. It seems adding force could make it much worse if you weren’t 100% sure of the direction. (Again, like cleaning climbing cams. If someone jerks on it the wrong way, it can become even more stuck.) I’d use pulling only as a last resort.
My tactic now is to let Cristina go first, whom is a surprisingly good judge of my size. If she says it’s too tight for me, I go high, or find another way…..
Ryan
roadtripry
A boy scout got stuck in Zero G last Wednesday. >
Wow, that made me tense just reading it. Poor kid.
I have been wedged good once, and only once.
This particular time, I was wiggling through a tight spot before a large silo when I felt my hips slip down and “key” in. If you’ve ever had it happen, you know what I mean. Sorta like placing a good nut while climbing, you can tell as soon as it slips in, it’s in good. Yikes!
Although a challenge, I fought the urge to shriek like a school girl, and asked my partners for help. Jon, a caver of immense talent, imparted on me his caver words of wisdom:
“Your not stuck if you can still move anything.”
For me, what got me out was calming down, and thinking about the exact path my hips had taken to get into this spot. I don’t know the total time I was stuck, maybe 10 minutes, but it felt much longer. Not having free will to move definitely poked at some primal fear deep in me. Fortunately I had arms relatively free, and could us them to help out. Because of the geometry, and large silo, partners couldn’t really do anything to help.
I worked and worked, moving a minute amount with each wiggle, until I reversed the course my hips took in.
Honestly, it would scare me to either be pulled by partners, or to pull on a partner. It seems adding force could make it much worse if you weren’t 100% sure of the direction. (Again, like cleaning climbing cams. If someone jerks on it the wrong way, it can become even more stuck.) I’d use pulling only as a last resort.
My tactic now is to let Cristina go first, whom is a surprisingly good judge of my size. If she says it’s too tight for me, I go high, or find another way…..
Ryan
rcwildone
Of course, it always depends on the specific situation, but here are a couple techniques that have worked:
1. Rig a 2:1 mini-haul above the subject. One rescuer serves as anchor by positioning himself in a secure chimney or stem position with the rope (or webbng) fixed to his harness. Rope runs through a carabiner on the subject’s harness. If the tie-in point is not accessible, rig a runner around his chest under his armpits and attach the carabiner there. Second rescuer hauls up on the rope/webbing.
2. Provide a foot loop for the subject to step up in. Dependent on subject’s ability to turn his feet. He may not be able to see his feet, in which case someone will need to provide directions and/or use a stick to position the loop.
NOTE: We sometimes set up this scenario during rescue classes. In one of those classes, students were able to get a foot loop (tied in the end of a rope) to the subject. They attempted to haul (with subject’s foot in loop, leg locked straight), but were not hauling straight up. The pull twisted the subject diagonally, making the situation worse. It could have worked if they pulled slower and communicated better with the subject to ensure their efforts were coordinated with his.
Steven Jackson
I wish I had some great pearls, However strength, and talent have always been my fall back.  Not much new info there.  Tell them they can get him through easy the way to do it is to set up a ZIP LINE at the last rappel across the pool to the big cotton wood.  Our youth always love it.  We have taken people with similar dimensions through there by doing this.  YMMV.          Spidey
— On Mon, 6/21/10, orsdoc rosenmarka@gmail.com> wrote:
From: orsdoc rosenmarka@gmail.com> Subject: [from Canyons Group] Rescue in Zero Gravity To: Yahoo Canyons Group Date: Monday, June 21, 2010, 10:23 PM
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A boy scout got stuck in Zero G last Wednesday. This is what I have learned from the group leader. I relate the story so that we can learn from the experience and not to condemn anyone involved. I’ve had members of groups I have led become stuck and I’m not trying to throw stones but would like to use the experience to start a discussion of ideas on how to free someone that is stuck. I know an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure but lets just assume they are stuck now what do you do?
First, the story as related to me. I was not there:
“On Wednesday June 16, 2010 a group of Venture Scouts hiked the canyon known as Zero Gravity (aka Little Iron Wash) in the San Rafael Swell. All went well until the exit. We had one large boy (estimated weight is about 265 – 280 lbs) who I had worries about regarding the last portion. Sure enough at the choke stone he would not/could not go over the stone as instructed and elected to stay low. He did not stay high enough under the choke stone or move far enough down canyon before trying to descend through the crack. He got his legs and hips through but got his torso stuck in the crack with his legs hanging free.
His initial attempt at the exit was at about 2 pm. He was not wearing a harness. None of us were. We had 50′ of webbing, 2 x 25′ lengths of webbing, 30′ of static rope, a few carabiners, a belay device, and a figure 8. We had used the rope and 50′ length of webbing to assist in some of the down climbs with success.
After about 5 minutes of trying to get himself out he started to panic. I climbed down to assist and see if I could give him directions on how to free himself. From my vantage point just up canyon from the choke stone I could see that he was very close to getting free. He needed to get higher and down canyon and could drop through the bomb bay doors and out along the 50′ length of webbing. We had a group behind us and the leader of that group came up to the choke stone to assist. He and I rigged some ladders for our boy’s feet and hung them from the choke stone and rigged some handles with an ascender and some webbing for his hands. We tried for about an hour to get our boy to free himself using the ladders and handles but our boy could not pull himself free with those tools. After the hour it became obvious that we did not possess the gear or skills to get him free. At this point his chest and shoulders were free. He had one boy in our party climb up and allowed the stuck boy to stand on his shoulders for about 3 hours. Others would take turns supporting him.
We had a Satellite Phone and sent one of the people who were ahead of our stuck boy to the car where another in our party was waiting for us. The leader at the car used the Sat phone and his On-Star system in his Chevy truck to contact 911. For the next 1.5 hours he worked with On-Star until help arrived.
The first on the scene was an EMT from Green River. This was about 6 pm. She climbed up and gave our boy a break. She brought soap that the boy applied to his back and stomach. From her vantage point she thought we could free him by coming down. They spent the next 1.5 hours trying to get him to go lower. When they were finished he was stuck just about at his chest. At about 7:30 a Sherriff repelled down but did not help much. I believe that they did not fully understand the situation and were focusing on the 7 from our group that were at the open area just before the last slot and the group behind us. They all had to ascend out of the canyon. He gave me a 4:1 pulley system that I tried to rig in the slot to pull our boy back up canyon but I was unable to do it. I told the sheriff that we needed more bodies down below and maybe someone in with me as I was getting tired and dim witted.
One of our boys hiked to the car and met up with a deputy; he told the deputy that our boy as still stuck but conscious and with no discernable injuries. At that point the deputy took off up canyon. He arrived about 9 pm. Once on the scene, he climbed up to our boy and with the help of some others made human pyramid. Once at the same level as our boy he told him that he was going to get him out. His energy was infectious. Our boy did not have a chance to doubt or complain or panic. The deputy grabbed our boy by the shirt and shorts and pulled him free in about 5 minutes. If that did not work I believe they were going to put a harness on him and pull him up. He was free at about 9 pm. Shortly after I got to the cars our other boys arrived. They all ascended the ropes or were pulled out.
I thought all we needed was a few more people and some leverage. Our boy was tired and not all that helpful with extricating himself when he had energy so it was obvious we needed more help to get him free. If it were a smaller (lighter) boy we may have been able to lift him free from the choke stone. I could not provide the upwards leverage from the choke stone safely and I am not sure he would’ve been any help or been able to hold on to anything and I not sure how we would’ve rigged a harness that would not have slipped off as I pulled. Pulling the boy’s legs from the bottom was too risky. We did not have think of pulling him down canyon and I am not sure how I could’ve got into that position with the tools and numbers we had.
In hind sight, he was too large to attempt this canyon but I thought he could do it and that it would be a great experience for him – conquer a difficult canyon. I still think it turned out well but not in the way I first expected. ”
The canyons group has had lots of stories over the years about people getting stuck. Some that I remember the best are the Chambers incident, Pandora’s, and Ram relating how to meet one’s fears and get through some truly narrow places. From this I have a few principles.
1. Try not to panic. Easy for me to say. I remember the young lady in Pandora’s. She remained cool, calm, and collected the whole time.
2. I remember having two scouts stuck in Nutty Putty Cave, One large guy stuck in Anaszi canyon, my brother stuck twice in the Cathedral group. Usually we solved the problem by having overwhelming numbers. Guys up above, guys in front, guys in back, pushing, pulling, and lifting sometimes with a mechanical advantage. There are some advantages to big groups of diverse people with different talents.
3. I remember my first trip through Choprock and one person misjudged and came down to soon. It seemed like Jeff Dredge was instrumental in freeing him. Sometimes having someone who is really strong helps.
4. I like having them in a harness so there can be an attachment point to lift but sometimes that can also get stuck and make things harder. I remember one boy in Nutty Putty cave that we got off his belt and he almost came out and I think he was down to underwear before he was finally free.
5. I haven’t carried a bolt kit in years but that seems like it may come in handy at times. How about a saw and some wood to try to jam under their feet?
6. Relaxation often helps. Fat is fairly easy to move around but the pelvis and chest don’t move much.
7. This story mentions how the deputy inspired the boy removed the doubt about getting free. I remember doing Shenanigan’s with Tom Jones. Parts were tight and my chest hurt for a couple weeks afterwards but there was Tom doing it and if he could get through I could to so I didn’t question. Having a positive attitude is a big one.
8. I did refuse to take some people because they were too fat and I got my wife mad at me once by refusing to take one of my brother-in-laws on a particular canyon for that reason.
So what are your pearls to free a stuck canyoneers?