My husband has shared this story a few times recently.
A canyoneer was flown by helicopter to the ER. She had been climbing with two guys out in some canyons and were rappelling down a high, steep cliff.
It was the girl’s turn and somehow her rope had slipped and she started free falling. She was about 100 feet up from the ground. There were no other safeguards to stop her fall.
Her companions were fearful beyond panic. They were sure she would hit the ground and be dead. I would imagine that her life flashed before her eyes in those endless few seconds.
When her death appeared eminent, at about 10 feet from the ground, the rope bound up at the top and suddenly yanked her to a stop. She banged against the side of the rock wall with such force that it broke both her ankles. Her friends were immensely relieved that she was still alive. They were visibly shaken when they arrived about 45 minutes after her, to the ER.
Mike had some x-rays taken and splinted her fractures for follow up in another state. Otherwise, she was fine.
Moral of the Story: You can’t always know what the ultimate outcome of a given situation will be. Never stop praying!
