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French rock climber hurt in fall from Yosemite's El Capitan: Climber flown to hospital in Modesto
May 21, 2010 (The Modesto Bee - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. -- A rock climber was injured in a fall Thursday evening from a popular climbing route on El Capitan, park officials said Friday. The man spent the night about 1,600 feet above the floor of Yosemite Valley before he was rescued Friday morning and flown to a Modesto hospital.
The climber, a 48-year-old man from France whose identity was not released, fell about 65 feet and suffered head and chest injuries. He was knocked unconscious. Another climber was able to reach him and provide first aid.
The accident happened about 8 p.m., too late for helicopters to reach him in the evening, Yosemite spokeswoman Kari Cobb said.
Two park rangers were flown to the victim at 7 a.m. today. A California Highway Patrol chopper brought the man to the valley floor, where he was taken about 8:30 a.m. by another helicopter to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto.
Cobb said the man's condition was not known.
She said the man and a partner were on a section of El Capitan called the Salathe Wall. For reasons unknown, he fell from a feature on the 3,500-foot route known as the El Cap Spire. His fall was stopped by his climbing gear, Cobb said.
The man and his partner, who was rappelling down El Capitan on Friday, were about halfway up the route when the accident occurred.
Scroll down to watch video showing what it's like climbing on the Salathe Wall of El Capitan.
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