[HitTheTrail]

Seattle man injured while rappelling down Mount Stuart by Tony Buhr Sept. 22, 2018, 1:05 p.m. Public safety, Mount Stuart, search and rescue LEAVENWORTH – A Seattle man suffered injuries Thursday when he fell 30 yards while climbing Mount Stuart. Jonathan J. Watari, 21, was rappelling down Mount Stuart, about 1.5 miles from Lake Ingalls, when his equipment failed causing him to fall 30 yards, according to a Chelan County Sheriff’s Office news release. Watari suffered a possible broken leg, Chelan County Sgt. Jerry Moore said. Search and rescue officials were unable to get to Watari until Friday morning, Moore said. A U.S. Navy helicopter from Whidbey Island assisted in the rescue and it took two attempts to get rescuers on the ground to hoist Watari into the helicopter. Watari was taken to Central Washington Hospital, Moore said. Hospital officials were unable to provide a patient status by deadline. About five climbers have been rescued from Mount Stuart so far this year and one Seattle man died after losing his footing while descending and sliding hundreds of feet down the mountain, according to Wenatchee World records. Reach Tony Buhr at 509-664-7123 or buhr@wenatcheeworld.com.

[Bernardo]

Thanks for reporting this and thankfully the person involved was not killed. Based on the report, this may not have been equipment failure but instead failure to use equipment correctly. I don't know if a failed anchor is considered human error or something else but that also wouldn't be equipment failure. Maybe more details will emerge and then we will know. Equipment failures are less common than human errors and therefore, in some ways, more noteworthy.

[Bluebird]

Can't help but wonder why he was rapping on Stuart since that's not typical for the west ridge, assuming that was the route climber was on... Off route? Something went wrong?

[DIYSteve]

Equipment failure? Huh? Runners, rap rings, rap devices, harnesses and climbing ropes are all built with huge safety factors, especially when loads are static or near static (e.g., rappelling). Maybe he rapped off an old UV-rotted runner? If so, that's user error IMO.

[Bernardo]

I think most folks here recognize that errors are made by even the most experienced people. We sadly know this to be the case from far too many fatal accidents. If equipment fails, it's super useful to know so it can be removed from circulation, redesigned, etc. This report provides no evidence of equipment failure. Rapelling gear is so well designed, it rarely fails. Yet, rapelling is very dangerous. The vast majority of rapelling injuries are caused by human error. If rapelling gear failed on Mt Stuart, that's news. A claim of such an unlikely event should be backed up.

[Randito]

I take "media reports" with a grain of salt. I've had a couple of experiences that were then reported in the media and the gulf between the media reports and how I remember things was amazing. Hopefully the injuried climber will make a full recovery.

[Bedivere]

[DIYSteve]

[Hutch]

[lovetowonder]

Interesting. Thanks for posting this. I was jogging out of the enchantments Friday afternoon/evening along the Snow Creek trail and we saw a heli do a few trips parallel to the trail & creek. Of course, we wondered what it was up to and hoped it was a rescue and not a recovery. Crazy the number of rescues off of Stuart (and everywhere!) this year. I hope this isn't a new PNW summer normal.

[Randito]

[AlpineRose]

I would not expect law enforcement or reporters referring to "equipment failure" to necessarily mean it in the same technical sense a climber would. A true failure of equipment in good condition obtained from a reputable company is very rare and would indeed be a serious thing.

[thunderhead]

[Schenk]

[Sammy]