Cliff Rescue Mission

A classic tale of selfless men putting their lives in danger to save ones who didn't value theirs.


Stinson Beach, California
Memorial Day, May 28, 2012

I was enjoying my last Sunday afternoon as a California resident at a beach.  I had just scrambled up a rock to look down the ocean.   Then I heard someone from further North.

"Hey, are there people down there?"  I was confused where was this 'down'.  Note this was my first mistake as I didn't understand the implications of his critical question.
Of course, there were lots of people.  

"(Do you) need help?" I heard.  I probably looked very confused.  

The wind was making it hard to hear so I climbed closer to the guy. 

"No, I'm fine thanks.  What were you asking first?"

"I NEED HELP!"

This was turning into more of an adventure I had planned for the day.

The following is a verbose capture of yesterdays memories, as I won't have time to shorten the story for a while.  I'd want to come back to analyze all things done well, and where one could have reduced risk due to miscommunications, misinterpretations, and poor judgment.  I hope the report will have valuable lessons to some as is.

I had just been to physical therapy for three overuse injuries on three limbs from three activities.

I was tempted to go for a swim in the bay on my way home.  Yet I was told not to do anything active today to recover from the session.  A sunny day was not to be wasted - I had plenty of reading with me.   So instead I drove by the ocean and stopped by this beach south of Stinson Beach.   

I had hiked to the southern side and up on a huge boulder.  On its steep face there were some climbers top-roping.  They may get too noisy relaying commands.  In the middle of the beach, there were more climbers just bouldering with crash pads.  So I hiked thru some cracks to the north side - more protected from the wind, where I could still hear the pounding surf and do some reading.  

"Maybe on top of that rock up there I will have a better view" I thought before settling down.  

And that's how I got myself to be the first responder in a rescue mission.

The traverse across to the guy had 5-10 meters of sketchy loose rocks.  

"OK.  You need help :) How did you get there?"  He pointed down to the beach below him.  Whatever way he had scrambled there, he was now stuck.  I had no idea how to get to that beach to follow his way up to give him a hand.  

The rock above him was in upward V shape I could climb on my side.  

"Let me check out that route.  Hold on."

I scrambled up (in my everyday thin-sole shoes).

The rock on his side also seemed more solid than that traverse, but it was very steep.  

Chances were that the whole face would slide off - it's an eroded cliff rock.  

I couldn't really help him much on his way up without a rope.  I didn't know if he'd have guts and energy to commit to going another 5-7 meters up.  I asked what shoes he had - just light hikers.  Hmm..  Alternatively, I could go down to him - I'd need to go barefoot to get better holds.  He'd have to move to the side so I don't drop rocks on him (or fall on top).  Though if I went down it wasn't clear if there will be much of the crumbly rock left to go up.  So we'd have to reach the stable northern side to his left, but I didn't know how we'd go down from there either...

I figured there must be a way from the beach I came from.  Maybe I could go around the rocks or wade thru the water.  Maybe  tides had cut some obvious route.  So I scrambled back down to the beach.  Went up to the nearest beach-goer - 

who had everything to be at the beach for a while (other than a swimsuit).  I told him I am going to go try help a guy climb down, and I asked him to call for help if we don't come back in half an hour.  He repeated back somewhat puzzled.  

I didn't see how to get around though.  I went back up the rock and again failed to find a way down his side.   I scrambled back to the guy thinking I'd ask how he got to where he started.

Yet I saw his legs shaking, and I realized it wouldn't be safe to approach from below him.  If he weakened he'd fall or drop some rocks on top of me.  I coached him to not use muscles and instead rely more on his skeleton to support him.  "Don't crouch, don't hold so tightly, relax"

And I didn't want him to lean into the rock and take weight off his feet, as he'd slip out.

"OK, now hold on 10 minutes - I will bring rope".  

It really had to be him either go up or traverse across on his own.  Or we'd haul him out.

I darted south hoping the climbers are still at the beach.

Good, there was nobody on the rope and they were all down.

I explain that there is a kid, OK, a guy your age, stuck on the rocks on the other side.

"How high is he?"

Now my second mistake here.  I point to a nearby rock for reference.  Probably about right as height, 

but I had no idea how to explain that he's on a very different rock than the solid stuff 

these guys are climbing and bouldering on.  It's also sloping, not straight down.  

"We need rope"

Yet I let them convince me that there is no point in bringing rope, for a guy with no harness it will be useless.  We'd just bring two crash pads.  With the first mistake uncorrected, I didn't yet know we can't get down to the other side at all!

Cody had just finished two weeks ago an

outdoor educator semester at NOLS.  (Tip: look for the guy with the longest beard :) when you need a rescuer)  He's got skills fresh in his mind.  So I figured it's better to just run quickly back and have him assess.  

I even put the disclaimer that they may be disappointed if our guy has already figured out a way to come back.

I dashed ahead back across the beach.  I asked a guy who was bouldering to direct the three climbers behind me with the crash pads while I ran ahead to check on our guy.    

He was still OK, but just nodding in response to questions.  Cody arrived and asked me if our guy speaks English.  

"Yes, better than mine".   Now I finally asked Michael for his name.  

I asked Cody to coach him how to stand safely and not burn out his muscles.  

The other climbers were shaking their heads - we can't do anything.

Nobody knew how to go down to the beach.  We could toss the crash pads down but we don't know how to go there.  

Cody sent me and Kunal back for rope.  "We don't want more victims".  

I ran ahead to see the girls on the rope, with one climbing near the top.  

Good they say there was another rope somewhere in a blue backpack.  

Third mistake, I had assumed their ropes and gear was all on the wall!

I told Denise to keep belaying her climber.  I ransacked the rucksacks for rope.  Too many blue bags!  I finally found the rope bag.  Running up I saw a helmet lying around and I picked it up just in case.  

I ran across the whole beach once more and straight up the scramble.   Here went my 'no strenuous activity for 24 hours' break…  We could have had the rope first.  But "whoever is weak in the head has strong legs".   At least I picked up a helmet as well.  We would have forgotten that if we got the rope the first time around.

We had no good anchors for the rope, even the rock I had climbed earlier was not reliable to save a fall.  

I think we at least can use it to lower the helmet to him.

These are experienced climbers and know this rock is sketchy to say the least.  

"Are you sure you can get down from there?"

I am stupid enough having done it already : "Yes, I already checked it out. "

Cody and Garrett asked Michael "What knots do you know how to tie?  None?  That's OK". 

I asked if we have a piece of rope we can have him trace a good knot, but we had nothing.

"Just tie a knot like the one we've tied on the helmet!"

I was perched on a rock above Kunal who passed me the helmet with the rope on it.   I tried to put it on my head to have hands free.  (You don't normally attach the rope on your head :))  And I bumped off my glasses with the straps!  Good they only fell 5 meters down on our side.  

"Can you go up without them?"  "I can see up, but maybe not going down.  They are prescription not just sunglasses.  "

Good Eric had just climbed towards us.  Later he said after he directed the team after me he got curious what kind of rock are these guys going to climb.  "It's got to be real good if we all running for it" joked Cody.  So Eric picked up my glasses and I was set to go.

I had some idea what was stable from my earlier climb, and I went up rather quickly.  I tried not to send much rubble down on Kunal.  I was up again on the top ledge trying to stay low and stable.  I tried lowering the helmet straight down but the wind was pushing it sideways.  Worse too many loose rocks were raining on Michael.  So I lowered the rope in a gully to the side.  I asked Michael to not reach.  "Just guide me towards you when I am close".   Then I rolled the helmet across the wall.

Now he took off his baseball hat and attempted to put the helmet on without falling, while holding the end of the rope,  and his hat!  Garrett told him to just drop the hat, but he put it in his mouth and held onto everything and the rock.  His hat seemed more precious than his life.

Anyways, I think it's good he was thinking about something else than that he's gonna fall down!

Old school belaying

Cody in the mean time had instructed Michael how to use the rope in classic style.
He'd first wrap the rope three times around his body, 
and then any knot he knows how to tie.  "Tie two knots!" I remind!  Rope around the belly not the hips.

There is no solid anchor up there, so I lower our side of the rope trying not to bring down any rocks.  There was a more stable looking rock we used as an anchor.
Cody would just body belay, with rope behind his back, counting on the friction against his body, and hoping he'd wouldn't fly over.

So I climbed down, high-fived Cody, and promptly careened and fell a couple of feet down some rubble while trying to avoid bringing the rocks on top of Kunal… 

I climbed back to the front and asked Michael to take that hat out of his mouth, and stick it inside his t-shirt.  

I wanted him to be able to talk to us!  Now I could check if he needed water or food.  He said he's good.

We're in good spirits, and Cody was sure now that the psychological barrier was over that Michael can make it.

Behind the rocks he said that our rope really is not going to help much.  He'd have to do it without falling. Our rock anchor was almost horizontal.  So Michael would have a good 5m slide if he falls.  We could also all go down with him or if he topples down our anchor.   First plan was that Kunal would hold the rope and grab on Cody, and I'd grab on Kunal. 

Cody shooed off his wife to get down to the beach, as the whole rock we are on might fall.  

I thought he was trying to scare her to keep her safe, but maybe he gave a very realistic view.

Denise didn't even get to see what happened next.

Cody braced against the rock from where he has no clear sight on Michael.   Kunal was relaying rope commands to Cody.  From this point Garrett was in charge - he had to guide Michael through each step, handhold and foothold he needs to make.

And to remind him to breathe, and relax.  Michael's face kept going from concentration to fear - pale face, lip corners down.  But he was calm.  He was carefully clearing off the loose dirt and rock off the first hold.  Kunal suggested he should tap on the rock to check if it's good.  I reported to Cody that Michael made his first step, and he's got this really big solid rock he can hold with double hand overhead.  We're in good shape.

Cody asked me to get on top of him, as we'd need a heavier anchor.  Sometimes being a dead-weight is an important job too :)

Cody and I got in a pretty cozy position - I am wrapped tight around him.  We are the body anchor.  

It's just psychological we say - so he is more comfortable he won't be flying off.

I asked Cody to tell me if I squeeze too tight - I am pretty strong and don't want to break his ribs ;)

He said that it's better to be his ribs than the other guys head.

Good the rope is dynamic so we'd have a moment to react and tighten if there is a fall.

We had time to catch up on where everyone is from and chat to keep good spirits and camaraderie.  

Garrett was very calm and patient talking Michael thru each step.  So I tell him he's doing a great job.  

Cody said "Garrett's going to be the hero".  

"Yeah, better be him, than us" I said.  "Oh, we two are just two guys in the back crouching on the rocks :)" we chuckle.

I felt good that Eric was on his cellphone from a safe distance.  At least someone could call 911.  (And he got that picture of us above.)

Maybe we should have called someone at that point.  But really I don't think the rangers or firefighters would have been better trained for this than Cody. They can send the helicopters to haul out bodies, but they'd just blow us all off the rock.  It seemed we were handling this alright.  It's just those five sketchy yards Michael needed to make through…

The rope tightens but Cody and I don't get yanked.
"He fell!  He is alright!"

We didn't see the fall.  The 'solid' rock had crumbled when he put his weight on it to transfer to the next hold.

Garrett was now trying to throw a webbing towards Michael, but the wind was blowing it back.

I told him to wrap it around a rock and toss.  Cody shouted, "No.  Don't do it, he'd pull you down with him".   Indeed Garrett was exposed with no good place to brace.   In a way, the fall with our sideways rope brought Michael down but closer to us.  Soon after (or it seemed) he emerged.  The fall likely pumped adrenaline blasting for his final efforts.  His arm and fingers were bloodied, and he said he's got some bruises on his leg but he is alright.   

The rope worked!  His knots held up!  The helmet got used well!  Our rock anchor didn't budge.  We - the body anchor - didn't fly off.  Friction took the fall's energy.  Everyone was fine!

We cheered up everyone on the good job, and just had everyone sit down, relax, breathe, and recover from the excitement.    We didn't have any medkit or water to clean Michael's wounds and he said there was no other bleeding.  I asked if his ribs were hurting from taking in the rope either.   (Another mistake, I really should have checked all of this directly as he was probably still in shock. And I didn't see how bad was the fall.)   His muscles were all wasted, his body shaking.  Michael toppled over a few times even walking on the beach where he finally got cleaned up.

Now we had time to congratulate everyone on the good execution and went over the miscommunications.  Apparently Michael had started from a different beach further north.  His friends never came to look for him - I don't know if he had told them he's going to try traversing rocks south.  That explained his very first question - he didn't know he was so close to our beach and help.  He apparently had been stuck for half an hour before I came.   

Kunal was surprised how when Michael fell, he asked the people down that he wants to see that video of him.  I again think it was a better distraction than him thinking or screaming "I am freaking gonna die!!!"

Garrett's estimate was that without the rope around him Michael would have slid, caught his foot on the ledge, toppled backwards, and flown head down 40-50ft (e.g. 4-5 floor height) with that big rock on top of him.  Broken bones and a concussion at least were sure.  I hope his mangled arms heal well but for a scar to remind him to value his and others' lives.

I didn't get any reading done yesterday - neither the writing I have to do, as instead I blogged my fresh memories.  Yet I'm glad I am alive to share we had a happy ending.

Neither I got much rest for my overtrained body - but I can always have another session before my 1000km bike randonneuring weekend.  

I, Insert-My-Name-Here,

My advice:  Start every adventure with the "randonneurs' oath".  Before every arduous endurance and skill test we raise our hands and pledge: "I, Insert-My-Name-Here[sic!], promise, not to do stupid stuff!". We'll always have a few Insert-My-Name-Here moments and that's OK.  It's a great reminder we are all human and often overestimate our skills and miss the obvious.

It may have been a sadly memorable Memorial day if so many things that could have gone wrong did; or if I had to try the alternate routes myself, if there was no time or nobody to count on...  

Pay attention to your surroundings.  Everything we see may end up being important.  What we don't see we don't think about!

Everyone who joined in this rescue mission contributed, while putting their lives in danger to save another.  Life is precious.  

Thanks again to Cody, Garrett, Kunal, and Eric!