Accident Report: 2021/11/14 Qizhongtian Waterfall Group
A canyoneer awaits rescue while entangled in rope.
Dates of Event: 2021/11/14 - 2021/11/15
Canyon/Route: Qizhongtian Waterfall Group [GPS]
River System: Dajia River Tributary
Region: Taichung City, Heping District
Source: https://reurl.cc/ZyYoOV
Result: 1 canyoneer stranded on rope for 6 hours; team called for firefighter assistance
Cause: technical error; rigging error
Team Status: non-commercial
Additional Notes: n/a
NOTE: The following accident report is translated from Mandarin and edited for clarity.
Accident Summary
A canyoneer attempted to self-lower off of an anchor using three ropes tied into one long length of rope. The knots connecting the ropes jammed at the rappel ring forcing him to abort his descent. He then ascended using prusiks until he reached an overhang which prevented him from ascending further. After struggling in this position for some time, he realized his prusiks had become entangled with both ends of the rappel rope, and that he was stuck in a free hanging position.
Precise Location of Event:
Within the waterflow of the 40-meter waterfall in Qizhongtian Creek.
Timeframe of Incident:
2021/11/14 13:00 - Team leader stuck
2021/11/14 13:48 - Incident reported
2021/11/14 19:00 - (Estimated) rescue team arrived
2021/11/14 19:49 - Rerigging completed
2021/11/14 19:53 - Stuck team leader successfully descended to ground
2021/11/15 06:30 - Teams began descent of 60-meter waterfall
2021/11/15 10:00 - Teams reached roadside
Team Members:
15 total; the party involved in this incident is the Team Leader
Team Equipment:
[Rope A] 80m 9mm rope (core shot)
[Rope B] 50m 9mm rope (core shot) (not retrieved)
[Rope C] 30m 10mm red rope (not retrieved)
[Rope D] 30m 10mm yellow rope (core shot) (not retrieved)
[Rope E] 20m 10mm rope (not retrieved)
[Rope F] [RESCUE]: 100m 11mm (core shot)
Detailed Report
Upon reaching the 40-meter waterfall in Qizhongtian Creek, Team Leader used Rope B (50m) to set up a releasable figure eight block and lowered the first person down the pitch. Team members rappelled down one after another. Due to a fraction of the team being inexperienced, the rope suffered abrasion as certain teammates descended. The third-to-last teammate down the rope slipped while rappelling which caused him to pendulum over a long distance. The second-to-last teammate to descend encountered a core shot rope section which he noticed as he rappelled. While descending over this section he accelerated due to lack of friction between the rope core and his descender. As his descender reached the unharmed section of rope below, the remaining rope sheath once again granted friction and he decelerated from his fall.
** Rope B (50m) was core shot during the descent of the 40-meter waterfall. **
Potential Improvements / Takeaways:
Consider using the anchor located on the tree to the right side of the waterfall instead of the problematic anchor. [Editor’s Note: wording unclear]
Adjust rope after every 3-4 rappels to prevent concentrated rope wear.
Teammates on the bottom of the pitch used a whistle to signal to the Team Leader that Rope B (50m) had been core shot. Team Leader pulled up the core shot Rope B (50m). He then tied together the remaining ropes he had available at the top of the pitch: Rope C (30m), Rope D (30m), and Rope E (20m). He clove-hitched one end of the rope to a carabiner and connected it to his belay loop. He threaded the other side through his descender. [Editor’s Note: he self-lowered with multiple knots below his descender]
As he self-lowered down the pitch, he encountered the issue of the bends [knots] connecting the ropes not being able to pass through the rappel ring at the anchor. This rope jam made continuing his descent via the self-lowering method impossible. He had not considered this prior to descending.
Potential Improvements / Takeaways:
Team Leader could have used Rope A (80m) by retrieving it from below while pulling up Rope B (50m). Alternatively, the Rope A (80m) could have been left at the top of the pitch to begin with.
After setting-up or updating a rope system, you should double-check that it can be rappelled and recovered without issue, instead of proceeding to immediately rappel down. [Editor’s Note: it would save a lot of time if this step is performed PRIOR to rigging the system; although vigilance is important at all times]
You should not continue to use a problematic anchor if alternatives (e.g. a big tree) exist.
As he could no longer descend to the bottom of the pitch, Team Leader begin to ascend using dual prusik hitches (each wrapped both ropes). Upon reaching the overhang, he found there was no way to pass a prusik hitch above the lip of the overhang and he became stuck. He attempted to lift up a section of the rope above the lip in order to attach a hand ascender, but because the ropes were still under load and flush with the rock above the overhand, this proved impossible. He realized that he could ascend no father, and considered descending again. At this point, he realized that his prusik cords and the rappel rope had become entangled. This prevented him from adjusting the position of his prusiks, which essentially locked him in his current position. Throughout this process, the sun had gone down and it was getting dark. Team Leader asked his teammates below to swing a nearby steel wire [Editor’s Note: likely used for rigging pipe used to collect runoff] into his reach, so that he could attach himself to it (with a quickdraw) and pull himself out of the water flow to await rescue.
Potential Improvements / Takeaways:
Prusik should not have wrapped both ends of the main rope at once. [Editor’s Note: I suppose the implied alternative is using the unpassed bend at the anchor as a knot block and ascending the other section of rope]
Should be more proficient in technical rope work / rigging.
Rescuers arrived several hours later and rigged a new rope system to allow Team Leader to descend. The team and rescuers then made a collective decision to bivy in the canyon before continuing to descend the 60-meter waterfall farther downstream. The Rope B (50m) and the pull cord rope could not be recovered and were left on top of the 40-meter waterfall. [Editor’s Note: presumably includes Rope C,D, and E]
The following morning, Team Leader used Rope A (80m) to lower one member of the rescue team down the 60-meter waterfall with a releasable figure 8 block. The remaining members of both teams rappelling down until, as the 5th person reached the ground, another rescue team emerged onto the platform below the falls. Rope A (80m) was replaced with a newly delivered Rope F (100m). The rope was adjusted after every 4 rappels to prevent concentrated rope wear. After all 21 members of both teams descended the 60-meter waterfall, the team leader converted the releasable figure 8 block to a retrievable figure 8 block and rappelled down. After rappelling he retrieved the rope by pulling on the pull cord. The teams climbed out and reached the roadside at around 10:00.
** Rope A (80m) and newly delivered Rope F (100m) were both core shot during the descent of the 60-meter waterfall. **
The report advises future teams to bring multiple backup ropes.
