U of C grad dies climbing volcano in Ecuador
Track star hit by falling chunk of ice
BY CLARA HO AND BETHANY HORNE, CALGARY HERALD JUNE 4, 2013
Recent University of Calgary engineering grad Danielle Kendall died Sunday in a climbing accident in Ecuador.
Photograph by: David Moll/U of C , Handout
A gifted Calgary athlete and recent engineering graduate has been killed in Ecuador while climbing one of the world’s tallest active volcanoes.
Danielle Kendall was struck by a falling chunk of ice “the size of a car” while summitting Cotopaxi volcano in the Andes on Sunday, according to an official report.
Kendall, 22, was killed instantly, Ecuador’s environment ministry reported.
The medal-winning track athlete was part of a group of eight people climbing with the tour company Condor Trek when the ice block fell at 5,400 metres altitude, the ministry said.
A fellow climber who was also on Cotopaxi at the time said the woman died in a guide’s arms.
Mattias Egberth, a Swedish doctor working as a missionary in Ecuador, was hiking with friends and family when the guide approached his group saying a block of ice fell and crushed a woman.
“He told me that after getting her out ... they started CPR, but that she died in his arms. Of course he was quite shook up,” Egberth said in an email.
Several climbers were trapped on the summit site after the ice had fallen and it was reported they had to rappel down, he added.
“They told us we had to turn around because the mountain was now a crime scene and that they had to go down and get the police and organize another climb to retrieve the body,” Egberth wrote. “So we all turned around and went down.”
In Calgary, news of Kendall’s death saddened the province’s close-knit track and field community.
In a statement, the University of Calgary confirmed Kendall had just completed her degree in chemical engineering with a minor in petroleum engineering at the Schulich School of Engineering.
Her convocation was set for next week.
“It’s a sad day for the University of Calgary to lose one of our outstanding athletes,” said Ben Matchett, assistant athletic director with the Dinos.
Matchett said Kendall “exemplified the term ‘student athlete,’ ” excelling in both the world of sport and in the classroom.
He also credited her with helping the Dinos women’s track and field team claim a national title in March, when she won both personal and team medals.
Kendall was part of the squad that took silver in the 400-metre relay.
Athletics Alberta, the provincial organization overseeing track and field, also offered condolences.
“Danielle was a very valued member of our small athletics community in Alberta,” said Peter Ogilvie, the organization’s executive director, calling Kendall an amazing athlete with a great personality.
“Our hearts are broken with the news of her passing.”
Ecuador’s environment ministry said the tour operator had the proper documents and the guides were certified.
“There was no negligence. It was an accident, which we’re very sorry happened, of course,” said Andrea Bastidas, a spokeswoman for the ministry. “We remit and gather information, but it’s not our responsibility to investigate further.”
Bastidas said the police force that participated in the rescue is investigating.
Ana Belen Marin, the Cotopaxi province director of the environment ministry, said this type of accident “isn’t at all common” in Ecuador.
Marin said they are still waiting for a police report on events. She also said a full autopsy hadn’t yet been performed, because the presence of a family member is needed.
“I’ve been in this post 31/2 years, and it’s the first time” there has been a fatality involving falling snow or ice.
Kendall’s body remains at the Latacunga morgue.
It took rescuers six hours to retrieve the body and bring her back to the base camp.
Various climbing sites and forums name Cotopaxi as a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. The climbing difficulty is not high but requires technical training and tools, such as an ice axe and rescue gear.
About 12,000 people climb Cotopaxi a year: 70 per cent of those are amateurs and 30 per cent are professional mountaineers.
Patricia Estrella, at the Jose Ribas mountain base camp, said that every group of three amateurs have to be accompanied by a professional guide.
All hikers pass through the Ribas base camp (4,800 metres). They start their climbs generally around midnight, summit at 6 a.m. and return by 11 a.m.
“Visitors arrive at the refuge usually in the afternoon. They acclimatize and prepare to leave in the early morning. The hike to the summit takes about six hours.”
Estrella said the guides and staff at the base camp were very moved by the death of Danielle.
They released the following statement: “We’d like to communicate our solidarity with Danielle’s family, who are thousands of kilometres away. We know it’s a very difficult situation they are going through. It’s a sad fact that practising this type of sport carries risks, which in cases like this one are irreversible. Our deepest condolences to them.”
Estrella said it was a clear morning, no weather systems, but the season is changing: from winter to summer.
The department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade was notified and is helping the family, a spokeswoman confirmed.
“Consular officials are in close contact with local authorities in order to gather more information,” Emma Wolford said in an email.
The Herald was told Kendall’s family was unavailable for an interview.
Bethany Horne is a freelance writer based in Ecuador
Read more:http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/calgary/grad+dies+climbing+volcano+Ecuador/8473597/story.html#ixzz2Y9a8aP2x
No comments:
Post a Comment