Date of Event: 9/5/2015
Canyon involved: Tanner Creek
Region: Oregon
Country: United States
Submitted by: Dan Halim
Source: www.ropewiki.com
Injury: Laceration
Cause: Slip

Description of Event:  A team of seven intermediate to expert canyoners set out on the initial day of establishing a route down then-undescended Tanner Creek. To reach the objective, the team descended a minor tributary from the east which confluences with Tanner Creek just above Wahclella Falls. The team had descended two pitches (141 feet and 75 feet) in low flow conditions. Just before reaching the final pitch at the confluence, one member of the team slipped and fell on a sharp rock, wounding her lower leg just below the knee. The patient was not wearing a wetsuit at the time due to the low water conditions. Another team member was nearby and gave first aid. The patient’s balaclava was wrapped around the leg and secured with Gorilla brand tape. This effectively stopped the bleeding. Since the weather was favorable and the tributary was nearly dry, hypothermia was not an issue.

The team quickly convened. Descending the planned route was fraught with complications: a first descent, many bolt anchors that needed to be placed, very swift water, cold conditions, high technical difficulty, and the possibility that the descent would continue into the night. The team made a decision to self rescue, with one canyoneer accompanying the injured party back to the parking area. One of the team members had scouted the location on two previous occasions and was able to find a tree along the cliff with a webbing anchor that he had left. The rope was rigged, and a best option route was scouted to get the patient safely to the anchor, about 300 ft away. The patient was carefully escorted to the tree anchor, which involved walking on uneven terrain and downclimbing a short steep section just above the anchor. One team member descended the rope about 200 feet to a scree slope above the Wahclella Falls trail. The patient then descended the pitch, while the team member below provided a bottom belay. The patient and team member walked together on the trail back to the parking area and drove to the hospital in Hood River. The patient received eight stitches and fully recovered.

The remaining five members of the team continued with the planned objective and successfully descended Wahclella Falls just after sunset.