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11-Year-Old Recovering from 40-Foot Fall

The accident occurred when the climber was finished the route and descending

An 11-year-old boy is recovering in hospital after taking a 40-foot fall while climbing at Smith Rock. A fundraiser has been organized by friends of the family to help cover medical costs.

Cohen Schauman was climbing with his grandfather when and reportedly descending from a route when the accident happened. He broke his pelvis, ribs, ankle, wrists, suffered a collapsed lung and lacerated liver and kidney. An off duty first responder was luckily nearby to provide immediate aid.

Brandon Lee, the organizer of the fundraiser, told Central Oregon Daily, “From what I am hearing, I believe Cohen was starting to descend and just made a mistake with what he was clipping onto or clipping off of. That’s when he fell.”

Redmond Fire and Rescue and Oregon State Police responded to the call and prepared Schauman to be airlifted to Portland. He’s since gone through several surgeries over the past few days. As of Wednesday morning, the GoFundMe had already raised more than $47,000 USD. To learn more about the accident and to donate, see here.

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