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bearbreeder
Dec 10, 2012, 1:07 AM
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most have likely heard of the accident already ...
Dear fellow climbers. John Long requested that we make a brief statement regarding his accident that occurred on 11/29/12 at approximately 8:30pm. John wanted us to confirm that he fell due to an unfinished knot, and suffered a compound fracture to the lower left leg. The rest of the details of the accident are John’s to tell.
Here is a direct quote from John, “Thank you to the Rockreation staff and members for keeping it together and not panicking in the face of a very scary situation. I consider it my best moment when I saw the gravity of the situation and was somehow able to keep it together and receive the support of the Rockreation Staff.”
On behalf of the Rockreation community, we want to wish our friend a speedy recovery, and let him know that we love him and are sending him good energy.
http://www.facebook.com/...osts/441894919197501
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milesenoell
Dec 10, 2012, 1:44 AM
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Bummer. I hope he mends quickly.
Hooray for living in the age of effective orthopedic surgery.
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Gmburns2000
Dec 10, 2012, 10:07 AM
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Best to him on his recovery.
Unfortunately, it can happen to anyone.
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patto
Dec 10, 2012, 11:26 AM
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Glad that it was only bones and nothing else broken. I wish him the best recovery.
Also 10 internet points to the first person who can find a quote from a John Long book about the importance of not getting distracted and ensuring you finish your tie in knot! 
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bearbreeder
Dec 10, 2012, 5:43 PM
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ill up you to 100 intraweb points to the person who finds out if it was a fig8 or a bowline 
which will of course start another 100+ page argument on tie in knots 
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ilikepargo
Dec 10, 2012, 10:19 PM
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Gmburns2000 wrote: Best to him on his recovery. Unfortunately, it can happen to anyone.
This.
It gets to be so routine and boring to do the safety checks every single time that it's easy to take it for granted. But ANYONE can make a mistake. Anyone can forget something. We're all just human.
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eric_k
Dec 10, 2012, 11:14 PM
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Gmburns2000 wrote: Best to him on his recovery. Unfortunately, it can happen to anyone.
It has happened to me. I was luckily able to climb down safely once i saw my error.
Like has been said before, NEVER SKIP THE SAFTY CHECK!
Eric
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curt
Dec 11, 2012, 2:24 AM
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Gmburns2000 wrote: Best to him on his recovery. Unfortunately, it can happen to anyone.
rgold has posted on this topic several times and it bears repeating. If you climb long enough, you will make some careless mistakes. The ONLY difference is that some of us manage to get away with these mistakes while others do not. If you do not fully embrace this concept, you are probably an excellent candidate to get your very own thread in this forum.
Curt
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notapplicable
Dec 11, 2012, 3:17 AM
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Gmburns2000 wrote: Best to him on his recovery. Unfortunately, it can happen to anyone.
True story. I caught one of my partners with an unfinished knot the 5th or 6th time we climbed together and I made it 3/4 of the way to the anchors on lead before noticing mine was unfinished some years back.
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Gmburns2000
Dec 11, 2012, 3:38 AM
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notapplicable wrote: Gmburns2000 wrote: Best to him on his recovery. Unfortunately, it can happen to anyone. True story. I caught one of my partners with an unfinished knot the 5th or 6th time we climbed together and I made it 3/4 of the way to the anchors on lead before noticing mine was unfinished some years back.
Not sure if I've ever left the ground without finishing my knot (I'm sure it's happened, I just don't think I've left the ground). However, I have almost leaned back at an anchor without being tied in. My partner caught it. I was thankful.
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rgold
Dec 11, 2012, 5:46 AM
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I left the ground without any knot, the rope just draped over my swami belt. Fortunately, it fell off before I had any occasion to weight it. Unfortunately, I had to solo the rest of the route. Fortunately, I was able to do that.
I too started leaning back on an anchor and realized, in the nick of time, that I wasn't clipped to it.
I once slipped on a pebble near the edge of a big cliff and ended up on the edge with one leg hanging over.
On an extremely run-out climb, I arrived at easier ground although with a groundfall prospect. There was protection available, but the terrain was easy and I so no reason to bother, considering what I had just managed. But then at the last minute I decided to place a piece anyway. I took a step up from there, a foothold broke, and I fell two feet onto the piece I almost hadn't placed.
That's four death/dismemberment/paraplegia episodes avoided by dumb luck in going on 56 years, or an average of one every fourteen years. I've never repeated any of those dumb mistakes, which qualifies me for the title of "experienced."
Climbing can be reasonably safe as long as you manage to pay attention to all the details. However, gravity never sleeps.
Be careful, don't ever get into the superior frame of mind that it can't happen to you, and help out if you can when a comrade falls.
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Chrispy1
Dec 11, 2012, 6:42 AM
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Just to let everybody know there has been a fund set up to help John out. Here is the site: http://johnlongdonations.chipin.com/john-long
To try and skip past what I'm sure will come this site is legitimate it has been fully vetted by those over at supertopo.com. Anything you could give will help John greatly. Remember how much he's given to us, now lets all try to give a little back.
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lena_chita
Moderator
Dec 11, 2012, 3:25 PM
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curt wrote: Gmburns2000 wrote: Best to him on his recovery. Unfortunately, it can happen to anyone. rgold has posted on this topic several times and it bears repeating. If you climb long enough, you will make some careless mistakes. The ONLY difference is that some of us manage to get away with these mistakes while others do not. If you do not fully embrace this concept, you are probably an excellent candidate to get your very own thread in this forum. Curt
It is a sobering reminder. People often bring up Lynn Hill's accident with unfinished knot. Now there is John Long to add to that list.
I am very glad it wasn't any worse, and I hope the recovery goes smoothly.
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knudenoggin
Dec 13, 2012, 1:36 AM
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notapplicable wrote: bearbreeder wrote: ill up you to 100 intraweb points to the person who finds out if it was a fig8 or a bowline which will of course start another 100+ page argument on tie in knots Bowline. http://www.rockandice.com/...njured-in-groundfall I accept cash or direct deposit. No checks.
R&I writes:
In reply to: ... John Long was seriously injured on November 29 at the Rockreation climbing gym in Los Angeles when his bowline came untied and he fell to the floor, suffering a compound fracture to his lower left leg/ankle.
This is their story; odd, IMO, that we haven't heard directly
--or semi-so, from his agents-- from Largo himself.
Who, I'd think, would want the lesson told precisely, if it's
to be beneficial to community learning.
So far, I find at best the relayed "... unfinished knot",
which prima facie doesn't well fit the bowline, but could be meant to.
*kN*
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russwalling
Dec 13, 2012, 4:34 PM
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In a nutshell, it sounds as though nobody should donate via ChipIn or any other "fund" for Largo at this time. Any donations or fundraisers will be announced at a later date and the stamp of legitimacy will be that Rick Accomazzo will be attached to any efforts.
Update post from Largo can be found here:
http://www.supertopo.com/...g=2010604#msg2010604
(This post was edited by russwalling on Dec 13, 2012, 5:32 PM)
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russwalling
Dec 14, 2012, 10:11 PM
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Latest update:
Dec 14, 2012 - 01:12pm PT
Spoke to John this morning. Here is what is happening:
John is having surgery today, apparently the last one. The leg appears to be healing properly and he is looking forward to getting out of the hospital in a week or so.
I am going to sit down with John after he gets out of the hospital and evaluate with him the need for future fundraising efforts. If there is a need and John wants us to go ahead, we will then make plans for a coordinated and robust fundraiser. We will announce it on this thread and start a new one at that time.
John wanted to thank Krista again for the "chip in" fundraising effort. She is going to deliver proceeds to him today. These funds will be used to defray the costs of his daughter's travel expenses and for other incidentals during his hospital stay. As of today, John wants the interim, "chip in' fundraising effort shut down.
To all those who have contributed money, offered thoughts and prayers, and suggested ideas for fundraising, John thanks you. To all who want to help John, please hold those thoughts until we evaluate the need and then announce a fundraising goal to fill that need.
The outpouring of good will from this community is palpable and heart warming. John is very moved by this and appreciates it greatly.
Rick Accomazzo
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