WOMAN DIES AFTER FALL FROM LITTLE BALDY

[Shawn]

RIP

OCTOBER 7, 2016
By: Sarah Elliott

On Saturday, Oct. 1, at about 7:30 p.m., park dispatchers were notified of an unconscious female lying at the bottom of a 30-foot granite face on the side of Generals Highway in Sequoia National Park. Rangers and an ambulance were dispatched, arriving to the location near Little Baldy Saddle at about 7:50 p.m.
The victim was later identified as Alexandra Braund, 22, of Durham, N.C. A witness who was one of the first on the scene and assisted the victim said she appeared to have fallen while climbing the granite slab adjacent to the Generals Highway. He reported that the young woman had sustained a serious open skull fracture and her prognosis at the time was critical.
The witness also reported that there was an unclaimed car in the vicinity, and he assumed this was the victim’s car. He also verified that she didn’t appear to have any traveling or climbing companions with her at the time of the accident.
“The only climbing gear she was wearing were rock climbing shoes,” the witness reported. “Her position on the road was face up, and the injury was to the back of her head, leading us to believe she lost her footing and fell backwards off the rock. Unfortunately, she had no rope or, more importantly, a helmet.”
Rangers performed CPR on the victim while in an ambulance en route to rendezvous with an air ambulance. The patient was declared dead in the ambulance after consulting with medical control.
The incident is under investigation. This is the ninth fatality in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks this year.

Source: http://www.kaweahcommonwealth.com/news/ ... ttle-baldy

[rlown]

Seems to only take about 20' to kill during a fall. guessing no helmet as well. RIP, definitely. At the same time, if you have to pass, do it while you're doing something you love.

[limpingcrab]

Terrible, sorry for her family.

This sounds like she was in or near the road? Little baldy itself is off the road a bit so I wonder what she was climbing? Baby Baldy is a small outcrop that was cut to make the road so it's right there, wonder if she was on that?