|
stevematthys
Aug 25, 2002, 2:06 AM
Post #1 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 13, 2000
Posts: 1248
|
Does anyone know how Dan Osman died?
|
|
|
|
|
clymber
Aug 25, 2002, 2:23 AM
Post #2 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 8, 2002
Posts: 1259
|
he hit the ground...he was doing one of his free fall rope jump things and something broke...needless to say he didnt survive...im not really sure where it was...think somewhere in CA...and cant remeber the date either..there was a issue of climbing or rock and ice that had a story on him....sure if you do a search you will find out about it
|
|
|
|
|
wonder1978
Aug 25, 2002, 2:26 AM
Post #3 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 1, 2002
Posts: 250
|
I'm not exactly positive that's what happened but it seems that Dan Osman died after a rope or anchor failure. What I heard is that he left a rig in place for several months and went back to use it long afterwards and the thing failed. Again, I am not sure this is the truth, it was only over-heard.
It was a great loss for the climbing community as he was pushing the limits of climbing (and falling) to the extreme. I can hardly think of someone deserving more respect than he did as far as guts and temerity is concerned. He had the biggest KAHUNAS of us all.
Cheers
Steve
|
|
|
|
|
jmlangford
Aug 25, 2002, 2:42 AM
Post #4 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 2, 2001
Posts: 1569
|
Here is an excerpt from Outside Magazine, published in April 1999, after Dan had been killed.
Osman called his friend Miles Daisher on Wednesday, November 18, and said he needed a ride to Yosemite so he could take the rig down; the rangers had threatened to confiscate it. The two of them left late on the 20th, arrived the next day, and climbed to the tower that night. But the following afternoon, instead of removing the rig, Osman made a 925-foot jump on ropes that had been hanging in intermittent rain and snow for more than a month.
"I asked him about that," says Daisher, "because I'd heard that rope loses strength when it gets wet. He said it did lose a little but that these ropes were the kind they use on Everest, that they were designed to hold up in wet, freezing conditions, that they'd be fine. So he jumped, and it was a good one, no problem. Then I jumped, and it was great. We were having a blast."
That night the two of them shopped for food at the village store and chatted with friends about the record jump Osman intended for the next day. There was no talk about dismantling the rig.
At 4:15 on the afternoon of the 23d, Daisher made a jump and lowered himself to the ground with rope carried in a waist pack. When he got back to the tower at about 5:30, he found Osman hurrying to reset the rig, trying to beat the encroaching darkness to make his grand jump.
"I had a bad feeling about it," says Daisher. "He was jumping from a different angle than we usually did, which meant he had to jump over the retrieval line, which he wasn't even going to be able to see, as dark as it was by then. And he'd added 75 feet to the rope, which was about three times more than he usually added from one jump to the next. So he was jumping on a thousand feet of line, which meant he was going to be only about 150 feet off the ground when he stopped. I was really skeptical. I kept saying, 'I don't think so, Dano, I don't like this.'"
Osman assured him that all was set and then took out his phone and called Fritsch and Gambalie, snowed in at Squaw Valley. "This is it," he told them, "I'm going big." He put the phone in a case on his chest and began his countdown. Then he stopped. "You got the spot?" he asked Daisher, who was crouched on the rock, ready to throw a coiled length of the jump line once Osman went over the cliff. "Got it," said Daisher. Osman began another countdown but stopped again and asked into the phone, "Did you guys say something?" No, they told him, go for it, and this time he finished the count and flew from the rock.
"I watched his headlamp disappearing into the dark," says Daisher, "going and going, and in about ten seconds I saw the rope straighten, heard it start to whip ù what Dano called flossing the sky ù but it didn't make the full whipping sound. Then I heard him yell ù 'Ahhhhhh' ù and a crash like a tree had broken in half, and I thought, 'Holy shit, he's swung into one of them.' I pictured him down there hanging from a limb, injured and bloody. I yelled to him, got on the radio. Nothing. Quiet. Then I started freaking."
Daisher rappelled to the base as fast as he could and followed the beam of his headlamp through the rocks and trees until he finally saw the ragged rope end dangling from branches above him. Then he spotted Osman, lying peacefully on his side. He checked for a pulse and, when he found none, sprinted off through the boulder field to a parking lot pay phone where he made a panicked call to Fritsch. "Dano's dead," he said, crying. "He's on the ground, I just saw him, he's dead."
Fritsch and Gambalie told him they'd be there as fast as they could, and Daisher called 911 to report the accident. A coroner arrived with rangers who started toward the scene but turned back because of the slippery going over rain-soaked boulders. A while later they phoned Dean Potter at search and rescue and asked him to find the body and camp next to it overnight to ward off bears and coyotes.
Three weeks later, the rig was still hanging between the tower and Fifi Buttress, as was a long section of the broken jump line. Park authorities were involved in an investigation that was taking longer than Osman's friends thought it should, and in December a group of them retrieved the upper sections of the jump line and sent it to Black Diamond Equipment for analysis. The results, which they have since submitted to the Park Service, postulate a theory that seems to indicate not system failure but human error: In short, Osman had failed to realize that changing his jump angle would ultimately place an unbearable load on one of the knots that connected the ropes of his jump line. The rangers, who are still working on their report, have not yet confirmed the cause of the accident.
A memorial service was held on November 28 at Cave Rock. Osman's ashes were scattered over Lake Tahoe while more than 200 of his friends stood in the cold, snowy wind to speak loving words, place flowers, and organize a benefit and a memorial fund for Emma. And to absorb the shock of a death that shouldn't have shocked them at all.
Here is the link to the entire article about Dan's life. Hope this helps.
|
|
|
|
|
jono
Aug 25, 2002, 3:07 AM
Post #5 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 6, 2002
Posts: 2067
|
i read a good book on him before he died
its called Fall of The phantom Lord.
|
|
|
|
|
stevematthys
Aug 25, 2002, 3:29 AM
Post #6 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 13, 2000
Posts: 1248
|
was it on one of the jumps on masters of stone 5?
|
|
|
|
|
ktwo
Aug 25, 2002, 5:29 AM
Post #7 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 10, 2002
Posts: 443
|
Same kind of jumps, not the exact same jumps... you don't actually see him do his final jump on the movie!
[ This Message was edited by: ktwo on 2002-08-24 22:30 ]
|
|
|
|
|
wildtrail
Aug 25, 2002, 5:41 AM
Post #8 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 6, 2002
Posts: 11063
|
They said the ropes were a little too "over used" and it broke at one of the knots. It was in Yosemite, from what I recall, and it snapped and he fell several hundred feet. The found him and a lot of rope attached to his harness all tangled in trees (not him, the rope). He wanted to make one last jump as it was getting dark. Well, he did. One last jump. RIP
Great guy, but personally I thought it was a little careless to do what he did. A daredevil needs to be a daredevil. Still, he was a great person and it is a shame the world lost the talent.
Steve
~~sorry, didn't actually read that post above detailing it. I just shot this out from memory, and memory isn't one of my strong points~~
[ This Message was edited by: wildtrail on 2002-08-24 22:43 ]
|
|
|
|
|
blackjack
Aug 25, 2002, 6:14 AM
Post #9 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 29, 2001
Posts: 95
|
I read the article above, Didnt know him well but its a loss losing him.
|
|
|
|
|
fishypete
Aug 26, 2002, 11:39 AM
Post #10 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 5, 2002
Posts: 200
|
Wow, this topic seems to attract misinformation and rumours like no other!!
Please - to set the record straight (at least with all the FACTS as they are available to date), take note of the following.
The analysis conducted by Black Diamond concluded that the rope had broken after two sections/pieces had rubbed against each other during the fall, thus melting it to breaking point when the full load was applied.
The rope was in excellent condition.
It did not break at a knot.
It was the change in "jump angle" quoted above (i.e. he changed his takeoff point and had to jump over the retrieval line) which was thought to have caused the ropes to come into contact, thus creating the friction/melting.
I have this information from a report lodged on rec.climbing by Chris (the guy and BD) who completed the rope analysis. I dont have the link now - if you want his exact words, do a search.
As for all the other rumours about sabotage, the jump being too long etc etc etc (there seemed to be many) - I have never seen any evidence that these were any more than initial "gut-reactions", perhaps of Dan's distraught friends.
Stick to the facts everyone! Dont feed the rumours!
Cheers
Fishy.
[ This Message was edited by: fishypete on 2002-08-26 04:47 ]
|
|
|
|
|
fishypete
Aug 26, 2002, 1:44 PM
Post #11 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 5, 2002
Posts: 200
|
Check out the last paragraph of the quote in the post above...
Emma is his daughter.
|
|
|
|
|
psych
Aug 26, 2002, 3:04 PM
Post #12 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 30, 2002
Posts: 416
|
Here's a link to some interesting reading about the incident and the shape of the ropes, etc.
http://www.fishproducts.com/tech/rope.html
Mike...
--You have to scroll down a few pages, it's the "Rope Failure Analysis" part, good read.
[ This Message was edited by: psych on 2002-08-26 08:05 ]
|
|
|
|
|
coreyr
Aug 26, 2002, 4:02 PM
Post #13 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 6, 2002
Posts: 149
|
I have the masters of stone 5 video. The tribute to Dan Osmund on the video is great. I get chills everytime I watch it. He was an amazing climber. Thanks for the accurate details on his unfortunate death. I was miss informed.
|
|
|
|
|
karma274
Jan 28, 2003, 5:49 AM
Post #14 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 12, 2002
Posts: 141
|
"A while later they phoned Dean Potter at search and rescue and asked him to find the body and camp next to it overnight to ward off bears and coyotes."
Oh man. Wasn't Dean friends with Dano? That would be a really depressing job to watch over the body of one of your friends after they fell to their death.
Didn't Dean place some blame on the yosemite park rangers or whomever locked Dano up for a few weeks while his rig was still up there, because of the emotional stress it put on Dano, which could have affected his judgement? Not to mention the aging of the ropes and anchors.
|
|
|
|
|
marknd
Jan 28, 2003, 6:57 AM
Post #15 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 20, 2002
Posts: 47
|
blame the rangers for his death? That sounds like a grab in the dark.
|
|
|
|
|
karma274
Jan 28, 2003, 8:03 PM
Post #16 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 12, 2002
Posts: 141
|
Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know all of the details. But I'm pretty sure the rangers in Yos didn't like Dano's jumps at all. They locked him up for something for a few weeks while his rig was up, preventing him from doing the jump. Until later
(I'm not very sure about this info)
Oh, and I'm not saying the sabotaged it or anything like that. I hope thats not what you meant.
|
|
|
|
|
studmuffin
Jan 28, 2003, 8:38 PM
Post #17 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 1, 2001
Posts: 53
|
alright, here's to set the record straight on how/why dano died. (i've done my research alright) 1)on his final jump he was jumping from a new position and that position caused more forces on the ropes and rig than first imagined. 2)the new jump position also caused two ropes to rub together, during his free fall. The friction caused was enough to literally burn through the rope itself, the rope rubbed at the knot. 3)rope pulls tight, and the rope is mostly burned through, it fails
there you have it
also, dano was the man, everyone will admit to that. My condolances to his family.
[ This Message was edited by: studmuffin on 2003-01-28 12:40 ]
|
|
|
|
|
mreardon
Jan 29, 2003, 12:24 AM
Post #18 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 17, 2002
Posts: 1337
|
Yes there was a burn in the ropes, but the ropes (and gear) were also exposed to the elements for longer than they should have been. He was skilled at what he did, but an error in judgment took him out. He should not have jumped that last time, but then again, some would say he shouldn't have jumped to begin with.
|
|
|
|
|
sandbag
Jan 29, 2003, 12:32 AM
Post #19 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 12, 2003
Posts: 1443
|
Simple fact is that Dan, the amazing, daredevil(insert streams of superlatives) didnt have a firm grip on the physics involved. He relied too much on what the engineers built and he pushed it too far. RIP Dano, it was fun while it lasted.
|
|
|
|
|
jeepmonkey
Jan 29, 2003, 1:27 AM
Post #20 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 19, 2001
Posts: 386
|
[small]This topic was moved to the Injuries & Accidents forum by jeepmonkey[/small]
|
|
|
|
|
benjamin
Feb 7, 2003, 7:39 PM
Post #21 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 7, 2003
Posts: 2
|
Did Dan Osman really have the "biggest kahunas of us all"? Personally, i find it really hard to respect someone so willing to cause unecessary grief and leave a child fatherless...surely, it is a braver act to embrace moderation, keep the emotional and spiritual comittments of loved ones safer, and not cave in to the impulse to throw oneself back into the ocean of adrenalin in such an extreme way...
|
|
|
|
|
caalpinejunkie
Feb 7, 2003, 8:06 PM
Post #22 of 22
(8050 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 7, 2003
Posts: 1
|
What right do any of you have to judge Dano's actions? Is soloing reckless? Is climbing reckless? Hell, its all reckless to some people. He pushed the limits of our sport in ways few others have. He understood the physics of his system -- did you see it? were you there? It worked 50 times before, flawlessly. Why even bring up something, and analyze it too death AGAIN that's already been put into the past? Jeezuz.
|
|
|
|
|
|
