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Ankles busted in the Bluies 20-Apr-2009 At 12:54:06 PM Brother Colin

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OK guys and gals, (it's been awhile).

I did not actually witness jez's accident but there was less than 10 people on the scene when i got there. ( I had started walking out a few minutes earlier, about 100/200m along the track). He landed on flat ground right against the wall landing on his feet and finished in a crouched position then rolled backwards against a nearby rock. He did not move from that position till ambos moved him.

Final injuy list: Compound fracture of 1 ankle. Broken bones in other foot (this foot was broken at Xmas) Some very monor fractures in 4 vertebra(doc's did nothing for this, very minor) some other aches and pains. Ribs ok, spine ok.

He is now home is Brissy.

I asked anyone i could about what they saw with regards to the equipment. The rope, belay device etc had been removed from him and the cliff by the time i got there. (If you witness an accident and are NOT helping with the 1st aid take the time to note equipment placement, even take photo's of it. The accident victim will won't to know later when they are stable or in a worse case senerio, the police will)

What i could find out was this from witnesses.

The anchor did not fail. (checked visually myself)
The rope did not break or cut. (checked visually myself)
Jez had fed the rope through the anchor correctly.
He had an autoblock on...below the device. It did not reach the belay device.
Only 1 rope was through the device when he was on the ground.
Both tails were on the ground when he started the abseil, 1 tail ended up 1/2way up cliff when he was on the ground.

It was the last descent of the day. Most of the group had packed up, (just waiting on jez and the stuff on him). Some of the group had started walking out (the slow ones, me.) and the weather had just started closing in, ie very light rain. There were 2 people on the anchor at the top of 'Faith' <5m left and a few meters below jez. He had offered some advice to them for their descent while setting up his own descent. No one could see his actual setup or was watching him with interest. Then he was on the ground.

The most likely senerio i can work out after talking to witnesses and jez. :

After setting up the rope and checking the ropes ends reached the ground he fed both ropes through the device BUT ONLY CLIPPED ONE to the biner on his belay loop. Attached his autoblock, removed his safety and leaned back. The rope NOT attached pulled out of the device and he reacted by grabbing tighter on the rope (and the auto block).

This means that jez is now abseiling on 1 side of a retrievable system with the autoblock around both ropes. As he falls 1 rope is not moving in relation to the autoblock and the other rope is going through faster tham usual with jez 's grip meaning it will not grab this moving rope. He would of pulled the end that he was attacked to with him while the other end went up the cliff. With some of that end still on the wall after hitting the ground shows that both ends were on the ground with pleanty of length as well.

If he check weighted the system BEFORE removing his safety then the unclipped rope would of showed itself and he would of fallen as far as his safety would allow. Giving him a bad scare.