Climber Deaths in the RRG
Two young climbers I knew from the Red River Gorge passed away this past Tuesday due to equipment failure. They were on a two-pitch climb and it sounds like the webbing on the anchor broke. If you are climber, please consider donating to their funeral fund.
The Red River Gorge climbing community mourns the loss of two of its own. Ben Strohmeier, 18, of Hebron, KY, and Laura Fletcher, also 18, of Brownsburg, IN were killed in a climbing accident on Monday, November 3, 2008. The accident was due to an equipment failure.
Ben and Laura will be sorely missed, and never forgotten.
A memorial service is planned at the base of Whiteout in Emerald City (part of Lady Slipper) at the Red River Gorge on Friday, November 7 from 3-5pm. Miguel’s will be closed during this time.
A fund has been established to help Ben & Laura’s families with the cost of funeral services. You can donate from a link on the homepage of redriverclimbing.com or directly at this link.
Dear readers, be safe out there.
Tags: accident, climbing, red river gorge, safety