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Grant Statham Talks About Recent Rescue

Grant Statham is an accomplished alpinist, leading international avalanche expert, and an experienced ACMG mountain guide based in Canmore, Alberta.

Listen to Statham talk about a recent rescue of a 22-year-old man who climbed into a precarious position near Cascade Waterfall close to Banff.

“He is extremely lucky that something didn’t go wrong for him,” said Grant Statham, a Parks Canada visitor safety specialist.

“It was full rock climbing terrain. I’ve got to commend the guy on his athleticism. It’s steep and he got himself way up there.”

“I think that really scared him and at that point he took the pack off and chucked it. He did a really smart thing and climbed to a pretty small ledge and lay there and started to call for help.”

Rescuers were slung by helicopter to a small ledge about 10 metres above and to the left of the stranded climber.

“It was a fairly technical rescue,” said Statham.

“The big lesson here is he never had a plan. Never climb up something unless you have a plan,” he said.

The "climber" in the position Parks Canada rescued him.  Photo Parks Canada
The “climber” in the position Parks Canada rescued him. Photo Parks Canada

Source: CBC, Rocky Mountain Outlook

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