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Was just informed that a guy fell to his death during a Repelling Class. Said the rope broke.
This comes from a former FrontSight Trainer that I've known for years.
EDIT: Just found Iggy's statement on it.
--- Original Message -----
From: <[email protected]
To: <[email protected]
Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 12:39 AM
Subject: Front Sight Fatality
July 5, 2007
Dr. Ignatius Piazza
Founder and Director
http://www.frontsight.com
Front Sight Fatality
Thousands of students have safely and successfully participated in Front Sight's Rope, Rappel, and Climb courses over the last several years without incident.
Tragically, we experienced a fatality on the 1,000 ft Zip Line during the 8th Annual July 4th First Family Reunion.
We openly share the details of this safety incident so that others may learn from it and prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again.
Here Are The Facts:
* The incident occurred on July 4, 2007, during the annual First Family Reunion event.
* The time of day was approximately 7:15 p.m.
* The weather was clear, sunny, calm, with perfect visibility, and about 100 degrees.
* The incident occurred on one of our three Zip Lines which originate from the Rappelling Tower.
* Instructors working the Zip Line were seasoned Rope, Rappel, and Climb Instructors who had also instructed during previous July 4th Events.
* The zip lines are essentially steel cables which start high in the rappelling tower and extend in an arc to a pole about 1,000 feet in the distance.
* The participant is placed in a safety harness and helmet which is inspected for proper fit and function before two safety lines are secured to a trolley composed of two pulleys that are locked around the steel cable.
* Upon the instructor at the top of the Zip Line receiving a visual communication from the instructor at the bottom of the Zip Line, that all is clear, the participant is instructed to lean forward and drop down and away from the tower, riding below the steel cable under the force of gravity.
* The participant comes to a stop approximately 15-20 feet off the ground in a low point of the cable, at which time the instructor at the bottom of the Zip Line engages a large, steel, scissors lift platform to rise up to retrieve the participant from the cable. The platform is raised, the participant is detached from the overhead cable, reattached to the platform, and then lowered to the ground.
* Once the platform is safely secured in the down position, the participant is detached and walks off of the platform. At that point, there is visual confirmation between the instructor operating the platform at the bottom of the Zip Line and the instructor at the top of the Zip Line that the platform is down and the Zip Line is clear.
* The instructor at the top of the Zip Line, having visually confirmed the platform is down and the Zip Line is clear then instructs the next participant to lean forward and drop down and away from the tower riding below the steel cable under the force of gravity.
* The fatal incident occurred as one participant had completed the Zip Line ride and was hanging in the air waiting to be retrieved from the cable. The instructor at the bottom of the Zip Line, operating the platform, was still in the process of raising the platform to retrieve a participant and had not given any visual indicators that the zip line was clear when the instructor at the top of the Zip Line released another participant.
* When the instructor at the top of the Zip Line released the participant without receiving any visual confirmation to do so and failing to look and clearly see the lift platform was in the up position and the previous participant was still waiting to be retrieved, the instructor on the bottom of the Zip Line, operating the platform, attempted to quickly retrieve the first participant and lower the platform-- thus getting out of the way of the incoming participant.
* Tragically, the incoming participant impacted into the platform and was killed instantly.
* Front Sight staff immediately activated the 911 EMS system.
* Front Sight Paramedics were on the scene within three minutes and determined the participant was deceased.
* All three zip lines were immediately closed for the remainder of the event.
* Nye County EMS and Nye County Sheriff/Coroner arrived and conducted an investigation which lasted several hours.
* During the investigation, Front Sight staff and management cooperated completely and provided as much comfort as possible for the grieving family members of the deceased.
* A Front Sight staff member was assigned to remain with the grieving family, assisting them with anything they needed, and driving them safely home after they had made the
appropriate arrangements for their deceased family member.
* The entire group of participants were gathered together, informed of the tragedy, and the July 4th First Family Reunion concluded with the Front Sight management, staff, and hundreds of Front Sight members holding a candlelight memorial to pray for the grieving family and the soul of our deceased First Family member.
Feeling and Opinions:
No words can express the sorrow we feel as individuals and as an organization for the loss of one of our own in this tragic accident.
Unlike fatalities of unknown individuals that have occurred in numerous, well known theme parks and adventure resorts throughout the country, this tragedy took the life of a friend and loyal supporter of Front Sight. I knew him. He was a good, family man and he loved Front Sight.
Supporting his grieving wife in my arms with no adequate words to express my sadness and sorrow; seeing the tears of his young son and daughter as I must tell them their father has died in an accident; and breaking the news of a son's death to his mother and father fell on my shoulders as the Founder and Director of Front Sight. Such an emotional experience will never be forgotten.
I don't know how companies like Disneyland, Great America and others handle such situations, but I can tell you that Front Sight takes care of it's loyal and supportive members and will do what is right to assist the family of our First Family Member in any reasonable manner needed.
Let me make this perfectly clear: This tragedy was not the fault of our fallen First Family Member.
We have fully reviewed our training and standard operating procedures and have found them to be totally safe and effective as evidenced by the thousands of previous Zip Line participants. This incident was the result of gross human error in failing to follow well known, very simple, and extremely affective safety protocol on the part of a single instructor. We have taken the immediate and appropriate actions to permanently remedy that situation.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ignatius Piazza
Founder and Director
Front Sight
This comes from a former FrontSight Trainer that I've known for years.
EDIT: Just found Iggy's statement on it.
--- Original Message -----
From: <[email protected]
To: <[email protected]
Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 12:39 AM
Subject: Front Sight Fatality
July 5, 2007
Dr. Ignatius Piazza
Founder and Director
http://www.frontsight.com
Front Sight Fatality
Thousands of students have safely and successfully participated in Front Sight's Rope, Rappel, and Climb courses over the last several years without incident.
Tragically, we experienced a fatality on the 1,000 ft Zip Line during the 8th Annual July 4th First Family Reunion.
We openly share the details of this safety incident so that others may learn from it and prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again.
Here Are The Facts:
* The incident occurred on July 4, 2007, during the annual First Family Reunion event.
* The time of day was approximately 7:15 p.m.
* The weather was clear, sunny, calm, with perfect visibility, and about 100 degrees.
* The incident occurred on one of our three Zip Lines which originate from the Rappelling Tower.
* Instructors working the Zip Line were seasoned Rope, Rappel, and Climb Instructors who had also instructed during previous July 4th Events.
* The zip lines are essentially steel cables which start high in the rappelling tower and extend in an arc to a pole about 1,000 feet in the distance.
* The participant is placed in a safety harness and helmet which is inspected for proper fit and function before two safety lines are secured to a trolley composed of two pulleys that are locked around the steel cable.
* Upon the instructor at the top of the Zip Line receiving a visual communication from the instructor at the bottom of the Zip Line, that all is clear, the participant is instructed to lean forward and drop down and away from the tower, riding below the steel cable under the force of gravity.
* The participant comes to a stop approximately 15-20 feet off the ground in a low point of the cable, at which time the instructor at the bottom of the Zip Line engages a large, steel, scissors lift platform to rise up to retrieve the participant from the cable. The platform is raised, the participant is detached from the overhead cable, reattached to the platform, and then lowered to the ground.
* Once the platform is safely secured in the down position, the participant is detached and walks off of the platform. At that point, there is visual confirmation between the instructor operating the platform at the bottom of the Zip Line and the instructor at the top of the Zip Line that the platform is down and the Zip Line is clear.
* The instructor at the top of the Zip Line, having visually confirmed the platform is down and the Zip Line is clear then instructs the next participant to lean forward and drop down and away from the tower riding below the steel cable under the force of gravity.
* The fatal incident occurred as one participant had completed the Zip Line ride and was hanging in the air waiting to be retrieved from the cable. The instructor at the bottom of the Zip Line, operating the platform, was still in the process of raising the platform to retrieve a participant and had not given any visual indicators that the zip line was clear when the instructor at the top of the Zip Line released another participant.
* When the instructor at the top of the Zip Line released the participant without receiving any visual confirmation to do so and failing to look and clearly see the lift platform was in the up position and the previous participant was still waiting to be retrieved, the instructor on the bottom of the Zip Line, operating the platform, attempted to quickly retrieve the first participant and lower the platform-- thus getting out of the way of the incoming participant.
* Tragically, the incoming participant impacted into the platform and was killed instantly.
* Front Sight staff immediately activated the 911 EMS system.
* Front Sight Paramedics were on the scene within three minutes and determined the participant was deceased.
* All three zip lines were immediately closed for the remainder of the event.
* Nye County EMS and Nye County Sheriff/Coroner arrived and conducted an investigation which lasted several hours.
* During the investigation, Front Sight staff and management cooperated completely and provided as much comfort as possible for the grieving family members of the deceased.
* A Front Sight staff member was assigned to remain with the grieving family, assisting them with anything they needed, and driving them safely home after they had made the
appropriate arrangements for their deceased family member.
* The entire group of participants were gathered together, informed of the tragedy, and the July 4th First Family Reunion concluded with the Front Sight management, staff, and hundreds of Front Sight members holding a candlelight memorial to pray for the grieving family and the soul of our deceased First Family member.
Feeling and Opinions:
No words can express the sorrow we feel as individuals and as an organization for the loss of one of our own in this tragic accident.
Unlike fatalities of unknown individuals that have occurred in numerous, well known theme parks and adventure resorts throughout the country, this tragedy took the life of a friend and loyal supporter of Front Sight. I knew him. He was a good, family man and he loved Front Sight.
Supporting his grieving wife in my arms with no adequate words to express my sadness and sorrow; seeing the tears of his young son and daughter as I must tell them their father has died in an accident; and breaking the news of a son's death to his mother and father fell on my shoulders as the Founder and Director of Front Sight. Such an emotional experience will never be forgotten.
I don't know how companies like Disneyland, Great America and others handle such situations, but I can tell you that Front Sight takes care of it's loyal and supportive members and will do what is right to assist the family of our First Family Member in any reasonable manner needed.
Let me make this perfectly clear: This tragedy was not the fault of our fallen First Family Member.
We have fully reviewed our training and standard operating procedures and have found them to be totally safe and effective as evidenced by the thousands of previous Zip Line participants. This incident was the result of gross human error in failing to follow well known, very simple, and extremely affective safety protocol on the part of a single instructor. We have taken the immediate and appropriate actions to permanently remedy that situation.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ignatius Piazza
Founder and Director
Front Sight
