Last Saturday, June 12th, there was a fatal climbing accident at Kaymoor. Karen Feher, 33, of Richmond, Virginia, was preparing to rappel from the top of Rico Suave when she fell 70-80 feet. She was pronounced dead shortly after at Plateau Medical Center.

The New River Alliance of Climbers would like to express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mrs. Feher.

The National Park Service, with assistance of local climbers, has produced an official accident report that details the cause of the accident. It is important that climbers read the accident report, because it contains some important information about the potential misuse of Petzl Strings, which were involved in the accident.

The official accident report can be downloaded here.

As the local climbing organization in the New River Gorge, NRAC plans to work with NPS to establish one or more of the following:

• A YOSAR-like (Yosemite Search and Rescue) group of medically trained climbers to assist in rescue operations.
• Easy-to-access rescue equipment strategically place throughout the climbing region.
• A rescue map that shows the quickest access/haul points.

Although these actions would not have affected the outcome of this particular accident, it has reminded us of the importance of climbers' role in assisting with rescues. Climbers have the best knowledge of the climbing areas and are an invaluable resource in the event of an accident.

Karen Feher Obituary

Facebook Memorial Page