Coromandel climber’s death is ‘preventable’, says coroner

An American woman descending a 120m rock face probably would not have fallen fatally if she had used her own equipment and had not relied on a rope that was already tied to the rock.

Lauren “Kimi” Worrell’s partner Richard Graham could only stare in horror when he saw her start your ascent then drop off the edge and out of sight as you climb Castle Rock Pinnacle in Coromandel on Aug 19, 2018.

Worrell had enough equipment to install his own security line, but had opted to latch onto existing straps, which he may have done to save time, the coroner’s report says.

Coroner Mike Robb’s findings on his dead state “probably would have prevented” Worrell’s death if he had used his own equipment and had not relied on the fixed rope that was already attached to the bolts.

The incident also triggered a safety reminder from the Mountain Safety Council (MSC) encouraging all climbers to use their own equipment that they know and trust, and to take their gear with them afterwards.

Robb said that after Graham called emergency services, he noticed that the “badly worn” fixed nylon strap it was attached to had broken.

That network was already attached to the rock, as previous users left it behind.

Worrell, who had recently completed a master’s degree at the University of Auckland, had enough equipment to install his own safety line, but had opted to latch onto existing straps, which he could have done to save time.

Her family described her as an experienced climber with three years of experience climbing both in the United States and New Zealand. He had climbed Castle Rock twice before.

They had also climbed in other areas several times before.

Robb adopted a recommendation put forward by the New Zealand Alpine Club (NZAC) for an amendment to the Rock Climbing Access Framework that discourages the installation and use of fixed ropes and other soft equipment to prevent climbers from placing themselves in a situation in which to depend on the weather. soft equipment was an option.

MSC CEO Mike Daisley said the coroner’s findings were a good reminder for the climbing community not to use existing on-site anchors or accessories, such as ropes, without first verifying that they were safe to use.

“It is better not to depend on existing equipment whose track record or quality is unknown.”

Daisley said it was a good habit not to leave any teams behind.

“Make sure you take the time to thoroughly evaluate whatever equipment you come across, and while it may seem quicker to use existing configurations, it’s probably much safer to create your own.