| Name | Age | Sex | Injuries | Injured areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruist, Mike | Not recorded | Male | Not recorded | Not recorded |
A group of cavers entered Schoolhouse Cave, West Virginia, in June 1979. Mike Bruist was rappelling the first drop when his foot became wedged in a crevice in the wall. Before he could stop, he became inverted. Clipping into the rope with a Jumar, he was able to free his foot. This left him hanging from the Jumar which was attached to his chest harness. Unfortunately the latter was not attached to his seat harness and began to constrict around his neck, choking him. Party members above quickly rigged a second rope and another caver rappelled down to Bruist. Weight was taken off the offending Jumar with additional ascenders and he was able to exit the cave with no further problem.
Analysis: Such things happen. It is well to remember that chest harnesses, even well made ones, are not suitable for suspending a body. All points of potential suspension should be attached to a seat harness or chest-seat combination.
The Dripstone 9(2) Spring 79 p6.
This record was last updated on 27th Apr 2024 at 23:11 UTC.