|
|
|
|
tradkelly
Jun 19, 2003, 6:32 PM
Post #1 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 7, 2003
Posts: 278
|
Condolences to Ryan's family and many friends along the Front Range and Utah. News from the Colorado Springs Gazette, http://www.gazette.com/popupNews.php?id=394886
--tradkelly
A flash of lightning ended the life Monday of a budding mathematician from Colorado Springs as he was attempting to climb a remote mountain in Wyoming.
News of 20-year-old Ryan Sayers’ death on 12,000-foot Steeple Peak — deep in central Wyoming’s Wind River mountain range — reached his family in their Gleneagle home late Tuesday night.
“He was a very safe climber; this was some kind of bizarre incident that happened,” said his father, Tom Sayers. “He was quite a guy.”
Sayers graduated from Rampart High School in 2000.
Considered a genius, he earned a perfect score on the math section of the SAT in eighth grade and was a year away from completing a double major in math and physics at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden.
“He used to do his homework in ink so he wouldn’t make mistakes,” his father said. “He had hoped to go on and do great things. His death is very tragic.”
Sayers and his girlfriend, Katrina Birmann, 24, of Munich, Germany, hiked into the mountains June 12Thursday, and headed for the Cirque of the Towers, a popular climbing area reached by a day of hiking.
Sayers and Birmann, both expert climbers, planned to spend a few days scaling the granite peaks in the area. A storm rolled in Monday while they were about 1,500 feet from the top of a climb.
Rescuers told Sayers’ parents a bolt of lightning hit the two while they were climbing. The two climbers survived the first lightning strike and took refuge from the storm in a cave, his father said.
About a hour later, Sayers stepped out of the cave to set up ropes so the pair could descend to safety. As he leaned over, another bolt of lightning struck him and knocked him off the ledge.
He fell about 300 feet into a ravine. Birmann, who had been burned by the lightning strikes, rappelled down to him. When she got to his side, he was dead.
Birmann spent a night alone at the base of the mountain and began trekking out Tuesday. She met other hikers who had a wireless phone and called for help. Rescuers recovered Sayers’ body later that day.
“I guess it shows that lightning can strike twice,” said Dan Russell of Colorado Springs, one of Sayers’ close friends and climbing partners. “It shocks me because Ryan was the safest climber I know.
“I can’t tell you the number of times we backed off a climb because it didn’t feel right or because of clouds in the sky. It just goes to show you that anytime you are outdoors, something can happen.”
Russell and Sayers had been climbing together six years, completing hundreds of technical rock climbs.
“Apart from being a safe climber, he was phenomenally strong climber, very competent,” Russell said. “He taught dozens of others how to climb; he was really passionate about it.”
The problem-solving required by climbing appealed to Sayers’ mathematical brain, he said.
“He was just a genius,” he said. “He could look at the physics (of climbing).”
|
|
|
|
|
kevlar
Jun 19, 2003, 7:03 PM
Post #2 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 5, 2002
Posts: 272
|
wow....lightning can strike twice...now if I could win the lottery only once
|
|
|
|
|
bdawg
Jun 19, 2003, 7:23 PM
Post #3 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 31, 2003
Posts: 207
|
Bump-
Condolences to the family, but at least he died something he obviously loved.
|
|
|
|
|
mountainmonkey
Jun 19, 2003, 7:32 PM
Post #4 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 11, 2002
Posts: 474
|
Ryan was an awesome person. He was very confident and talented climber and always a fun guy to be around. He was very inspiring and I always enjoyed being tied into the rope with him. What a great guy.
a good profile and slide show of his climbing:
http://www.coloradospringsclimbing.com/profiles/ryansayers/ryanwelcome.html
He will be greatly missed.
-casey
|
|
|
|
|
atg200
Jun 19, 2003, 8:08 PM
Post #5 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 27, 2001
Posts: 4317
|
In reply to: wow....lightning can strike twice...now if I could win the lottery only once
asshole. ryan has some good friends here. offer condolences instead of tasteless selfish jokes.
|
|
|
|
|
petsfed
Jun 19, 2003, 8:16 PM
Post #6 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 25, 2002
Posts: 8599
|
Lightning waay bad. Especially in the Winds. Pity to have lost what by all accounts was an amazing mind. Fully preventable too. Such is too often the case in this past time of ours.
|
|
|
|
|
hoppinbig
Jun 19, 2003, 8:35 PM
Post #7 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 21, 2002
Posts: 409
|
I just finished reading the slideshow interview on Ryan. My condolences to all his friends and family - seemed like such a wonderful guy who made every day count.
|
|
|
|
|
dirtineye
Jun 19, 2003, 9:48 PM
Post #8 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 29, 2003
Posts: 5590
|
Wonder why he didn't tether in?
|
|
|
|
|
bakedjake
Jun 19, 2003, 9:55 PM
Post #9 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 24, 2003
Posts: 3755
|
In reply to: In reply to: wow....lightning can strike twice...now if I could win the lottery only once asshole. ryan has some good friends here. offer condolences instead of tasteless selfish jokes.
my condolences to his family and girlfriend. it's sad to see someone so talented depart us so early.
|
|
|
|
|
ptone
Jun 19, 2003, 10:04 PM
Post #10 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 5, 2003
Posts: 350
|
That occured to me too, why no clip to the anchor...but after one strike already--I'd be shaken too.
That photo series is pretty cool, thanks for sharing it.
It's tragic, but it looks like he was doing what he loved best...
My thoughts to his family, and girlfriend, what a long hard night that must have been.
peace
-p
|
|
|
|
|
dirtineye
Jun 19, 2003, 10:28 PM
Post #11 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 29, 2003
Posts: 5590
|
Yeah, a cave ledge would seem safe too. That is the second experienced climber who died recently while setting a rope up from a seemingly safe position.
Losing a brilliant mathematician/physicist is a terrrible thing for the whole world. there's no telling what he could have contributed to mankind. One damned loop of spectra might have saved him.
My condolences to his friends and family.
please do keep the tastless jokes out of here.
|
|
|
|
|
bigdan
Jun 20, 2003, 3:33 AM
Post #12 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 12, 2002
Posts: 142
|
Tying in couldn't be expected, he was in a safe position and the sky looked like it had cleared. The lightning bolt struck him right in the chest, so it's doubtful he survived the initial hit.
Ryan was one of my dearest friends. He taught me how to climb back in the day. He was the definition of safety, the most cautious climber I know. I can't count the number of times he convinced me to tie in, or to bail because it didn't feel right, or because clouds were coming in.
If anybody knew Ryan and has a good story to tell, email me at coloradospringsclimbing@hotmail.com. Myself and several of Ryan's close friends are compiling stories and pictures of Ryan to put together for an online tribute/biography, as well as to give to his family.
|
|
|
|
|
billcoe_
Jun 20, 2003, 3:48 AM
Post #13 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 30, 2002
Posts: 4694
|
Thanks for the web site. Liked Ryans wit and brain, I'm sure you guys will miss him.
Don't take Kevlars post so personal, he's trying to be funny, it can be a way for folks to deflect the uncomfortable feelings they have when something bad like this happens.
My best to all who know what must have been a great guy.
Regards:
Bill
|
|
|
|
|
sid_rock
Jun 20, 2003, 4:03 AM
Post #14 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 28, 2003
Posts: 516
|
Wow... a perfect 800 in the SAT math in grade 8... he must have been a phenomenal mind. (I took the SAT twice in grade 12 and didn't get past 780--and I like to think I'm smart!) It's unfair. People like Ryan are so very scarce to begin with anyway.
My condolences to Ryan's family and friends. He'll be in my prayers tonight.
Peace.
|
|
|
|
|
addiroids
Jun 20, 2003, 5:21 AM
Post #15 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 11, 2001
Posts: 1046
|
My condolences for everyone who knew him. Man, it seemed like he really set an example/standard when he climbed. Truely he will be missed. At least we knew how it happened rather than being left with a million questions. Great web site about him too. It looks like he was well respected and had a ton of fun.
TRADitionally yours,
Cali Dirtbag
|
|
|
|
|
auricpoe
Jun 20, 2003, 5:32 AM
Post #16 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 3, 2003
Posts: 18
|
That is soo tragic... goes to show that we never know when its our time.
My thoughts and prayers are with Ryans family, friends and girlfriend
|
|
|
|
|
djmacedonas
Jun 21, 2003, 10:25 PM
Post #17 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 11, 2002
Posts: 84
|
What a horrible tragedy :(
My condolences to all who knew and loved Ryan...I went to the website, he sounded like a great guy and a great climber.
I read somewhere that caves may be poor choices for protection from lightning... A hit on the rock above you will travel through the ground and arc through the cave... You could in the space of a large spark-plug gap. Do you think this might have happened? Do you think it's possible that a static charge was stored in the mouth of the cave, and was triggered when Ryan approached the ledge (someone mentioned that they thought the storm had passed)?
So sad...
djm
|
|
|
|
|
djmacedonas
Jun 21, 2003, 10:36 PM
Post #18 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 11, 2002
Posts: 84
|
In reply to: I read somewhere that caves may be poor choices for protection from lightning... A hit on the rock above you will travel through the ground and arc through the cave... djm
Holy crap: Everyone should read this-->
http://www.nols.edu/resources/research/pdfs/lightningsafetycavers.pdf
Apparently, lightning does strike cave entrances more than once!
djm
|
|
|
|
|
overlord
Jun 22, 2003, 8:48 PM
Post #19 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 14120
|
thats bad
|
|
|
|
|
leemeans
Jun 23, 2003, 3:20 AM
Post #20 of 20
(4305 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 28, 2002
Posts: 27
|
I was struck by lightning at SandRock, AL over a year ago this month (June 4th). I had a wierd time dealing with it. It was not a seriuos strike. My only side-effects were some super sensitive gums and teeth for the next three days, and a lot of thoughts running through my head.
Some of my friends started calling me "lightningLee." My Dad had called me that since I was a baby, but now my friends quickly adopted it. I had one of my friends (who is a huge influence on me) tell me that I shouldn't "promote" my nickname, and then he said "but then again you've been struck by lightning..."
Throughout this past year I have heard of other lightning strike-victims who have had HORRIBLE strikes. Since I like to describe it of not really a "strike" but more of a "touch" it makes me feel almost guilty-like for again just not being really harmed.
When I saw this story posted on the Southeastern Climbers Coalition website (www.seclimbers.org) I was immediately drawn to it. I have read the press releases and I feel honored to have been able to just visit the slide show website. I just want to say thanks to all of Ryan's friends for being his friends; and may his memories forever live on with each of you until you meet again. God Bless.
Climb on!
-lee
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
