Date of Event: 6/26/2016
Canyon involved: Nobe Young Creek
Region: Sequoia National Forest, California
Country: United States
Submitted by: Amanda Rosenblum
Source: eye witness self-report
Injury: Ankle sprain, Bone bruise
Cause: Toboggan error, Inexperience
Description of Event: I was canyoneering in a little documented canyon in the eastern Sierra with two friends. We were wearing full wetsuits but there was very little water past the first rappel. I went ahead of the others to set the next rappel and sat down to slide a wet slab into a small pool of water. I had too much momentum and my left shoe hit bedrock on the other side of the pool, forcing the foot up toward the shin in extreme dorsiflexion. I thought hitting the water would slow me down more than it did.
There was a good deal of pain, but when I took my shoe off to examine the foot, there was no swelling or discoloration. I kept it in the cold water for a few minutes and wrapped it with self adhesive sports wrap, which provided great support. After the initial jolt, my foot was sore but I was able to complete the canyon and hike out two miles with minimal discomfort. Later that evening, it began to swell and throb. I had my foot x-rayed the next day and there was no damage to be seen, although I had sprained ligaments on both the inside and outside of my ankle. After several weeks with no improvement, I had a CT-scan, which revealed bone marrow edema and a bone bruise, which is similar to a fracture but with less damage to the bone. When my foot struck the rock, it moved in such a way that the end of the tibia knocked into the talus bone and crushed part of it.
Analysis: Toboggans often present hazards that cannot be assessed from above. The rock must be checked for irregularities where the person will slide. The landing zone needs to be investigated first by a person on rope to verify there are no hazards.