Climber Who Fell and Suffered Serious Injuries Had to Wait Overnight Before Being Airlifted Off in Kananaskis County, Canada

Kananaskis County Public Safety (KCPS), Alberta, Canada responded to a call for an injured and stranded climber on Saturday night this past week. The climber fell in technical terrain (climbers right of Coire Dubh Integral) resulting in serious injuries, according to a report on their Facebook page.

Staff attempted to access the patient that evening but were unsuccessful due to the terrain and the weather that night.

In the morning, KCPS staff along with Alpine helicopters were able to access the patients and transport both of them down to EMS.

Days are short at this time of year and persons need to be able to move through this type of terrain quickly in order to be out of technical terrain before it gets dark. Also, be mindful that if an injury occurs or you become stranded and be-nighted you need to be thinking about the cooler temperatures. Belay jackets, tarps, and adequate food/drink/lighting are important for making a terrible night a tolerable one.