Early 1952
Blain St. Clair was descending a rock climb in the boulder area when his rope became stuck and he forewent using it. He lost his footing and full down a gully feet-first. He suffered facial lacerations and leg injuries.Source: Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1953
April 6, 1952
R. H. Udall was rappelling in Stonewall Canyon when the anchor gave way, falling 20 feet while on a CMC trip.Source: Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1953
August 9, 1957
Jeff Wheeler was climbing Castle Rock with Gerry Roach when a handhold failed and he fell. Roach checked the fall and went for help. Wheeler suffered cuts and bruises, and was rescued.Source: Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1958
August 7, 1960
Dan Sawtelle was climbing Dome Rock in Boulder Canyon when a piton came out on rappel. he fell 75 feet, breaking his jaw and losing consciousness. He was rescued.Source: Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1961
November 20, 1960
Barbara Reinecke was ascending The Ampitheater when she had difficulty with an overhang. She lost her footing and fell 30 feet, impacting slabs and landing a few feet from a Rescue group member, prompting a fast first aid and rescue. She suffered a fractured skull and concussion.Source: Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1961
September 2, 1961
Robert Powers was climbing in Boulder Canyon when a rock loosed by a climbing partner hit his head, fracturing his skull. He was rescued.Source: Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1963
July 6, 1962
Robert Sayre was climbing "Cussing Crack" and tested a piton, whuch failed. He fell down the dihedral to a ledge where he was rescued. He sustained a broken wrist, knee cap, and shattered teeth.Source: Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1963
March 26, 1967
Christofer Ray was descending Castle Rock after getting off-route to avoid snow. His rappel anchor was a small rock outcrop, which when he stopped to adjust the rope, came loose. He fell backwards 15 feet impacting a ledge with his head, and died shortly after the fall.Source: Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1968
October 7, 1967
Charles Joseph Brown was traversing a section of The Ampitheater when two pitons came out, causing a 25-foot fall. He sustained head, back, and facial injuries.Source: Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1968
May 12, 1969
Skip Bailey was climbing Dome Rock via a chimney mantle when a large chockstone came loose, causing him to fall close to the base of the route before a double piton stopped the fall. he suffered minor injuries.Source: Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1970
June 4, 1984
Jay Kinney broke his hand when protection pulled out in a 40 foot fall on Bitty Buttress (5.8). His belyaer helped arrest the fall.Source: Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1985
June 1, 1986
Michael Stone fractured his arm in a fall on the "Finger Crack" route on Elephant Buttress when protection failed.Source: Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1987
June 25, 1988
An Unknown male was struck and killed by lightning near Eldora Spings.Source: www.crh.noaa.gov
June 24, 1989
Stephen Gilmore was bouldering as a warmup before attempting The Dome when he climbed to high and had to jump, as he could not downclimb. He sustained a badly bruised heel.Source: Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1990
October 25, 1989
Farrell Ballenger was climbing Castle Rock and chose an alternate route along a talus slope in the trees. He lost his balance and loosed two boulders, which rolled over him for 15 feet. He died os internal injuriesSource: Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1990
February 9, 1990
Gary Wheeler was waterfall climbing with his partner when he fell while adjusting a rope for his partner via a dirt ramp. He impacted a tree 150' down.Source: Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1991
June 11, 1991
An unknown 23 year old male fell 60 feet to his death into Boulder Creek.Source: Rocky Mountain News
May 24, 1992
Perry Blakley was climbing Dome Rock in Boulder Canyon when he fell 100 feet. Others nearby notified search and rescue, and he was carried out. He suffered multiple facial fractures and other injuries.Source: Rocky Mountain News
June 12, 1992
Angela Harris was climbing on Front Porch Rock when she fell 100 feet to her death.Source: Rocky Mountain News
July 4, 1992
An unknown 16 year old female was hiking in Dream Canyon when she fell to her death 350 feet down a gully while searching for an off-trail route to Sugarloaf.Source: Rocky Mountain News
October 1, 1993
Robert Krul had ascended the East Face of Boulder Falls with his partner and drank a bottle of champagne on the top. He fell 100 feet on the descent to his death.Source: Rocky Mountain News
October 23, 1993
Michael Naberhaus began a rappel from Ampitheatre Rock on Flagstaff Mountain in haste, as his sling was not prepared properly. He fell 70 feet, breaking his leg and arm. He was rescued.Source: Rocky Mountain News
July 25, 1995
Alexander Lynn, 12, was on a city-organized outing when he fell 30 feet while climbing in Boulder Canyon. He suffered head injuries as a result of his helmet coming off during the fall.Source: Rocky Mountain News
September 9, 1996
Andrew Carlson was scrambling on Jumping Rock with his partner when rocks came loose and he fell. He died of internal injuries.Source: Rocky Mountain News
September 25, 1996
Robert Kooken was climbing Gorilla's Delight on Dome Rock when he slipped on a slab and fell , pulling out protection. He hit his head against rock on the fall, and broke ribs. He was rescued.Source: Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 1997
June 27, 1998
Two unknown 24 year old males were climbing an 80 foot wall in Boulder Canyon when protection pulled out and they fell to the base. One climber died from head and chest while in surgery, while the other was in serious condition from the fall.Source: Rocky Mountain News
February 26, 2000
Jon Canon was leading Happy Hour Crag without a helmet when he slipped and fell 25 feet, hitting his head on the rockface. His belayer stopped the fall before he hit the ground.Source: Accidents in North American Mountaineering, 2001
April 22, 2000
Frits Sample was being lowered from Happy Hour Crag and fell because the webbing spool was newly purchased and not unpackaged properly. His fall was fatal.Source: Rocky Mountain News
February 5, 2002
Michael Sofranko fell a fatal 100 feet while climbing in Boulder Canyon.Source: Rocky Mountain News
October 26, 2002
Scott Hamilton was teaching safe climbing techniques to children when he fell 150 feet to his death climbing a 5.9 route on The Dome unprotected.Source: Boulder Daily Camera
July, 2003
Douglas Shaw had his leg pinned by a large boulder while traversing Boulder Creek below his partners. He was rescued by the Volunteer Fire Department.Source: Colorado Daily.com
August 17, 2003
Martin Emerson, an Air Force Cadet, fell 65 feet when his grappling gear came loose climbing Cobb Rock. He landed on his back, sustaining back injuries. He was carried out by Rocky Mountain Rescue Group.Source: Colorado Daily.com
September 2003
An unknown female fell 20 feet near Dream Canyon into Boulder Creek. She was extracted and carried out by Rocky Mountain Rescue.Source: Rocky Mountain News
September 07, 2003
Nicholas Gudewicz was ascending the first pitch on Elephant Buttress with Ryan Barrett when he fell 40 feet as a rock pulled out, sustaining head and chest injuries. Barrett did not suffer serious injuries in the fall. Gudewicz was flown out by helicopter for emergency surgery.Source: Denver Post
June 22, 2004
Wolfgang Schweiger was belayed down by his partner above Boulder Falls when rope ran out and the belayer did not stop. Schweiger fell 25 feet and was later transported to the hospital in critical condition.Source: Boulder Daily Camera
October 10, 2004
Jose Ricardo Ortega and his partner Joe Ware were scrambling on a face in Dream Canyon known as "The Chock Stone" when they both fell. Jose did not survive his 200' fall, while his partner was seriously injured.Source: Casper Star Tribune
April 2, 2005
An unknown male was climbing off-route when he fell over twenty feet to his death while reaching for a bolt.Source: Longmont Daily Times - Call
May 24, 2005
Eric Garvin was rappelling down Animal World Rock when the unknotted rope passed through the top, acusing him to fall 30 feet, sustaining back, ankle, and wrist injuries.Source: 9news.com
May 28, 2005
Austin Barker was climbing Elephant Buttress when he fell about 40 feet to his death. The likely cause for the fall was protection failure.Source: 9news.com
June 5, 2005
An unknown 20 year-old was climbing with a friend when he slipped and fell 30 feet before pulling out protection and falling another 30 feet, impacting the rock while falling. He suffered a serious leg injury and facial lacerations.Source: LongmontFYI.com
July 13, 2006
Roger Seekings was leading Red Garden Wall when he fell and suffered multiple cuts, bruises, and a head injury. His partner was able to stop the fall applying rope tension.Source: Rocky Mountain News
A cliff face seen from near the Surgarloaf Area