Rescuer falls to his death on body recovery
On December 21, 1966 Richard Slates, an experienced member of the China Lake Mountain
Rescue Group (CLMRG) was assisting in a recovery of Grant Trigg, a hiker who had been fatally
injured after losing control while glissading down the eastern slope of Telescope Peak near Death
Valley National Monument. Near the completion of the recovery, it became know that rescuer
Slates was unaccounted for.
... the last information about Richard was that he had been inserted by helicopter on the
ridge below the summit of Telescope. The helicopter could only take one passenger at a
time. Richard apparently decided to go alone to where he felt the victim could be.
Ironically he fell down the exact same chute that claimed the life of Grant Trigg.
The search for Richard started at 8pm on the 21
st
of December 1966. A team of two
followed his tracks to the point where he fell. It was not steep at the spot where he fell, but
it got very steep, very quickly. Somehow he lost his balance and was unable to use his ice
axe quickly enough to stop his fall. He was wearing crampons and may have caught a
crampon point on his trousers. Richard was an excellent mountaineer and rock climber
and it is difficult to imagine him falling on such moderate terrain.
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Analysis of the Accident provided by China Lakes Mountain Rescue Group follows:
This happened a long time ago and the lessons are clear. No person should venture off
alone. Our radio capability at that time was limited so everyone did not know the
conclusion of the initial search in a timely manner. It is clear that Richard died after the
initial victim had been found.
Yosemite climber dies in rescue
On October 14, 1968, Climber Jim Madsen (20) and four others went to the top of El Capitan to go
to the aid of two climbers who had been on the Dihedral Wall since Oct. 9. Madsen and another
climber planned to rappel down from the summit to Thanksgiving Ledge and make contact with
the climbers from there. Early the morning of October 15, they established a rappel anchor, and
Madsen began his rappel with five ropes, two pairs of Jumars, carabiners and pitons, a radio, and
two thermoses of hot soup.
Madsen tied a knot in the end of his 11mm rope, and rappelled using a 2,2 and 2-carabiner brake
system. As he rappelled down, he somehow lost his rappel and slipped off the rope and fell to his
death. The climber fell 2,500 feet.
The climbers stated they were all right and they finished the climb under there own power.
"The party in general made several errors...There was no discussion about choosing a
leader. Madsen was the youngest in the party and should have been more cautiously
checked on all of his decisions. He did not feel a belay was necessary, but a critical view
would have shown that one was, or at least had him apply a Jumar.
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"
Rescue fever was also sited.
