Tragedy in Franconia Notch

[TDawg]

Maybe they will put a memorial up for her at the spot.

Like all the ones on the roadsides? I hope this doesn't sound too insensitive, but I think it'd be better off leaving out a memorial on site.

Today I checked out Fletcher's Cascades in Waterville Valley, I was watching the ledges above me a bit differently today.....

 

[NewHampshire]

Talk about morbid irony. As a native Chineese woman she lives closer to one of the deadliest mountains (Everest) in the world. It takes coming to Franconia notch and our comparatively small mountains to meet her untimely death.

Sad tragedy. Condolences to all family and friends.

Brian

 

[askus3]

Two incidents that come to mind when I heard about this accident. A bouder coming down on the Cathedral trail in Baxter Park on Katahdin and one close to home where two hikers were hit with a boulder that came loose resulting in one fatality and injurring another when it broke loose on a group of senior veteran Wednesday hikers. This was on Schunnemunk Mountain in the Hudson Valley which you would consider tame territory. You just never know where tragedy will strike. Live life to the fullest. Just curious: Will the authorities close the trail for a period of time?

 

[sjhbos]

Just curious: Will the authorities close the trail for a period of time?

Definitely a tragic event and devastating for her family who were hiking with her at the time. It’s almost impossible to guarantee that a falling rock won’t hit someone but the occurrences are so rare that it shouldn’t stop hikers from being on the trail. I would be surprised if the Falling Waters trail were closed to test the stability of other rocks along the trail, but do not know this for sure.

 

[Woody]

How tragic. Falling Waters is one of my favorite trails. It always seems so peaceful.

 

[Grayjay]

Very sad. Another incident that comes to mind becuase of the wait afterward, was the father with video camera falling off Arethusa Falls. Ofcourse that was stupid on his part.
Older mountains like these have less chance of rock fall happening, but often are visited by many more people. Falling Waters is visited most every day.

 

[Jasper]

Family Questions Response Time

Today's Boston Globe has an article that indicates that the family are questioning the medical response time. The article goes on to say that a medical helicopter, better cell phone coverage or a land-line at the trail head may have speed medical assistance and possibly saved a life. It is also suggested that a better warning at the trail head would have been helpful.

Link to Globe article

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/05/11/tourists_kin_asks_if_death_had_to_happen/

Truely a tragic accident.

 

[TDawg]

Here we go with the finger pointing.....

[Begin Rant/]
Yea great idea, lets mark up EVERY single rock face that *could* fall in the Whites with paint, that would make it a lot safer. Warning signs every 100 yards, "watch out for...(fill in the blank, ex. falling trees, rocks, bears, moose, yeti etc...)."

And while we're at it, a Verizon land line at EVERY trailhead, you know, just in case.

Also, a cell tower on every major ridgeline so we can call in the national guard choppers at all points in the forest.

You're in the middle of the woods for crying out loud, you're not going to get a response at the snap of your fingers. Franconia Notch isn't Wellesley, Mass or Shanghai (thank god.)

How long till somebody sues somebody? Maybe, 3 weeks? There's a lawyer somewhere licking his/her chops.

Again, this was a very unfortunate ACCIDENT. Wrong place, wrong time. It always has to be someone else's fault I guess. If Mr. Gruneich wants to raise questions, I have a question myself. Did they treat her for shock? Anything?
[End Rant/]

 

[NewHampshire]

Here we go with the finger pointing.....

[Begin Rant/]
Yea great idea, lets mark up EVERY single rock face that *could* fall in the Whites with paint, that would make it a lot safer. Warning signs every 100 yards, "watch out for...(fill in the blank, ex. falling trees, rocks, bears, moose, yeti etc...)."

And while we're at it, a Verizon land line at EVERY trailhead, you know, just in case.

Also, a cell tower on every major ridgeline so we can call in the national guard choppers at all points in the forest.

You're in the middle of the woods for crying out loud, you're not going to get a response at the snap of you fingers. Franconia Notch isn't Wellesley, Mass or Shanghai.

How long till somebody sues somebody? Maybe, 3 weeks? There's a lawyer somewhere licking his/her chops.

Again, this was a very unfortunate ACCIDENT. Wrong place, wrong time. It always has to be someone else's fault I guess.
[End Rant/]

While this is a very sad tragedy, and I understand the husbands and familys feelings, the above is quite correct. We live in a society that likes to point fingers nowadays. I don't know where it went wrong, but at some point it seems more and more people are not accepting responsibility for themselves. If I go into the woods and brak an ankle on a tree root its not the Forest Services fault for not posting warning signs and cutting down every tree in the forest.

Brian

 

[DougPaul]

Here we go with the finger pointing.....

[Begin Rant/]
<rant snipped>
[End Rant/]

I had a similar response when I read the article.

Reading behind the lines suggests that it is an emotional response (the Monday morning "what-ifs"...) by grieving friends/relatives who are also novice hikers.

Certainly, analyzing past accidents to prevent future accidents is legitimate, but I agree with TDawg that the changes proposed here were not appropriate.

Doug

 

[TDawg]

I had a similar response when I read the article.

Reading behind the lines suggests that it is an emotional response by grieving friends/relatives who are also novice hikers.

Doug

Right, too soon after the accident to give a well-thought-out comment for those who were there on scene.

Novice hikers? I thought everyone hikes in jeans!

 

[Jasper]

Laws of Gravity and Probibility

Lets put this down to an immediate, emotional response by the family that has lost a loved one in this tragidy.

Rescue does take some time in the mountains and one should take that into consideration. Bad things happen some time and it is no ones fault.

No one can not repeal the laws of gravity and probibility.

 

[Fisher Cat]

2 words:
Inherent Risk.
That being said, more words:
This IS truly sad, a true tragedy, and heart-breaking. The death of anyone in such circumstances should unite the feelings of all despite the what-ifs, if onlys, and whadda-bouts. It could have been us as an individual (or a family member)at anytime, anywhere, and anyway. My condolences without any polarization.

 

[MadRiver]

The first question that the instructor asked us in our Wilderness First Aid course was what is the difference between getting hurt on Main Street in North Conway vs. getting hurt in the middle of the Pemi? The answer was response time. This poor soul was from Shanghai where the response time for any accident would be minutes and not hours. I do not fault the family for asking. They are obviously new to the Whites and do not understand how being just a few miles in can have serious consequences. My heart still goes out to the family for she looks like a very vivacious woman whose life was cut short by a freak accident.

 

[pedxing]

It is a hugely sad story and a tragedy. I would have a very hard time making sense of if it this if I were one of the people there with her.

While I'm entirely unwilling to criticize the reaction of anyone in that party, I hope I am correct in assuming the suggestions in the article will gain very little traction. An enclosed and more controlled Franconia nature experience is available at the Flume Gorge.

Most of us who head up the Falling Waters trail are trying to get away from the kinds of things that would be necessary to make it significantly safer. Already, it has to be much safer than the ride to the trail head (at least for those of us who drive a couple hours or more to get there).

 

[griffin]

Lets put this down to an immediate, emotional response by the family that has lost a loved one in this tragidy.

Exactly. I think trying to make sense, or make some "good" (in the form of preventing future tragedies) come of, a senseless tragedy is a very normal human response. I certainly don't think we should baby-proof Franconia Notch, but I can't bring myself to be upset with the survivors for having an emodtional response and wanting to "fix" something.

I do wish the Globe hadn't given it so much play, however.

 

[Dave Bear]

A very sad and tragic event and our hearts go out to the family and friends. I had a close call on Willey when we climbed a rain soaked and saturated trail. A large rock I stepped on began to come loose but stopped. I was able to warn my hiking partner (my sister-in-law) and get her safely aside so I could kick it loose. The rock was about 700 pounds and would have pinned or seriously injured her and left me guilt ridden for setting it loose no matter what the outcome was. I feel that this woman may have received serious internal injuries and though she was concious there may have been little help that a quicker response could have given. It is hard for her family but a blessing that she was with loved ones who could comfort her through this fateful time!

 

[WhiteMTHike]

I think it was last year when something similar to this happened on the Boulder Loop Trail?

My prayers and condolences to the family.

 

[RoySwkr]

a land-line at the trail head may have speed medical assistance and possibly saved a life. It is also suggested that a better warning at the trail head would have been helpful.

At least there used to be a pay phone nearby, just walk under the underpass

I wonder what sort of warning signs are posted in China

 

[TDawg]

I think it was last year when something similar to this happened on the Boulder Loop Trail?

My prayers and condolences to the family.

See post #13