Yosemite Vernal Falls Deaths - One member of group climbed over railing with his child

[RamboLiberal]

The tragedy occurred at about 1:30 p.m. on a brilliant sunny day. A group of 12 friends and family had climbed the famed Mist Trail, the park's most popular hike, to the top of Vernal Fall, Gediman said.

As many as 175 other people were resting at the Vernal Fall overlook when the group stopped to have lunch. Witness accounts vary slightly, but apparently another member of the group was the first to climb over the metal rail at the top of the waterfall. Signs depicting stick figures plunging over the fall warn people not to go beyond that point.

"He's got a 6- or 7-year-old daughter in his left arm on the edge of the waterfall while his other daughter, about 14 years old, is taking his picture," said Jake Bibee, 28, of Costa Mesa (Orange County), who was hiking with a friend on the Mist Trail that day. "He's on the corner, hanging over the falls. This little girl is screaming bloody murder, and he's laughing, thinking it's a big old joke."


The spectacle infuriated Bibee and several other hikers, some of whom yelled at the man and urged him to climb back over the railing. Meanwhile, apparently inspired by their friend, Badal, Yacoub and David climbed over or went around the railing and waded into the water 25 feet upstream from the fall, trying to reach a rock outcropping partially covered in vegetation about 15 feet from shore.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/20/BA0H1KCRAP.DTL#ixzz1SmOAMp4B

Glad the little girl survived the Darwin candidate stupidity of her father! And if I'm reading this right one of the men who died his 2 kids were on wrong side of fence.

[trotsky]

1. No Darwin award here.

He already passed on his genes. Hope the girl didn't inherit the stupid ones.

[RamboLiberal]

2. She was screaming her head off in fear so maybe she didn't get that gene

[trotsky]

4. What a horrible scene that girl will have to carry in her head for life.

I feel so badly for her. Not so much for stupid people who ignore warning signs.

[underpants]

12. Here. Hold muh beer.

I saw this earlier today but I never thought some idiot went over a rail WITH A KID

If you have ever been to the Grand Canyon it is creepy - the ledge is right there. Not just one misstep but you are literally looking at an impulse to step over - I say this because all my buddies said they felt the same thing -- "It is right there. Someone could actually kill themselves" with an impulse move.

Not climbing over a rail for crying out loud.

[AtomicKitten]

3. This year, the falls are particularly voluminous for this point in the year.

I have gone to Yosemite many times, usually in June when my kids get out of school, and by then the falls were always downright anemic.

The huge falls this year (beautiful!) combined with the stupidity of people are a prescription for tragedy as we have seen.

[Brigid]

5. Wait till the girl's mother gets hold of this idiot.

Unbelievable. And that 14-year old should have been screaming too, not taking pictures. :grr:

[Peregrine Took]

7. When I see a child put into a dangerous situation - its always by the dad or

boyfriend.
Pulling a tot behind a bike in traffic in a flimsy cart, riding a toddler on handlebars in heavy traffic and today riding his bike behind a 5 or 6 year old on his bike - on the street in rush hour traffic. The men take chances I have never seen a woman take.


The worst was a few years ago on a very busy street on the north side of Chicago a yuppie type dad with 3 little ones crossing at a busy 4 way stop. All the cars are raring to go and he crosses with the two older ones on their bikes and leaves the littlest one behind - age 2 - to peddle across the street all by herself - bringing up the rear and he was like 10 feet ahead of her, not even turning around to see her safely across.

[elehhhhna]

8. I've seen moms all over chicago stand at the curb of a busy street with their

stroller (w/ the kid inside) off the curb and in the street.

just saying

[undeterred]

11. I've seen moms push the stroller out in front of the oncoming car

and of course the car is going to stop if they see it. But what if they don't?

[MADem]

6. Not daredevils....dipshits.

You feel for their families, but damn--how dumb is dumb?

If there is a sign in a national park that shows stick figures plunging over the waterfall, that should be a pretty good clue that the activity is unsafe....in case the guard rail didn't give the nitwits a clue.

[Ratty]

9. I have always been creeped out by this sign

Quite succinct and to the point. Still, the "you will die" part creeps me out every time I see it.

[undeterred]

10. Well, I think that pretty much tells it like it is.

If you can read you should still be alive. Maybe they should post pictures of the bodies.

[The Midway Rebel]

13. Typical.

I teach school and I see this type of behavior everyday. The rules are always for someone else.