Can't we just speculate that the climber involved in the original accident simply yelled down "safe" upon reaching the anchors, and the belayer, upon hearing that, took the climber off belay...?
Sure, it's just the same miscommunication from another angle; but it is generally accepted in climbing (I'd say a golden rule, some may disagree) that "Safe" is a term for specifically communicating that you are now ACTUALLY Safe (and responsible for your own safety).
I've heard people say "safe", when they reach the anchors, and the belayer doesn't take them off, because they know they are being lowered... I think this is dangerous for the exact reason of this topic. I'm not saying they 'should' be taken off. I'm saying that using the word "safe" to indicate you are "in-hard" is a no - no.
Safe, O.K, Off Belay*, O.K, Climbing, O.K.
These are the key words that are or should be drilled into any new climbers from day one.
*Some use this instead of "Safe"; but I don't want to get too far off topic.
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