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Stewart Phillip Porter, 21, died after suffering major injuries from a fall off of Devils Tower, WY, on Sunday. According to a press release from the National Park Service, Porter, a Wisconsin native, was rappelling pitch two of El Cracko Diablo, a popular two-pitch 5.8 trad route, when he fell. Porter’s partner was left stranded on the wall as night fell and required a rescue.
The Superintendent of Devils Tower National Monument, Doug Crossen, was unable to provide much information about the mechanics of the accident to Climbing. “The incident is still under investigation and we are looking for solid answers,” Cossen said.
Porter’s Mountain Project ticklist shows he had already rappelled El Cracko Diablo once that day, after climbing Soler (5.9; 2 pitches), with a 66-meter rope. Rick Strasser, a National Park Service Interpretation and Education Ranger, told the Casper Star Tribune, “There wasn’t any equipment malfunction whatsoever, but he was rappelling,” indicating that Porter likely rappelled off one of the ends of his irregular-length rope.
Upon being notified of the accident by Ranger Ben Slutsky, Devils Tower Lodge Climbing Guides and Buck Wild Climbing Guides spent three hours climbing up to Porter’s stranded partner for an evacuation.
Despite Devils Tower’s latest tragedy, climbing accidents on the feature are relatively rare, and fatalities are even less common. The park service said that only seven deaths have been recorded on the feature in the park’s 118 years.
In response to the incident, park officials reminded climbers that “the National Park Service does not maintain anchors—inspect all anchors and back them up if necessary. Ensure you know the location of your rappel route before you begin. Start rappels over the nose of columns to prevent ropes from jamming in cracks. Avoid knocking loose rock onto climbers below. Many rappels require two ropes; know the distance of your planned rappel before beginning.”