Cliffs above the St. Vrain river at Planet Bluegrass in Lyons.
Crystal Yates-White, 26, of Carbondale, Colo. fell 15 to 20 feet while scree-climbing with friends on the cliffs east of Planet Bluegrass around 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 15 in Lyons, Colo. Scree-climbing is an informal type of climbing that is usually done without ropes or equipment on loose rock.
Yates-White and friends were attending Planet Bluegrass' 19th annual 3-day Folks Festival. Planet Bluegrass is repsonsible for such musical venues such as Telluride Bluegrass Festival, RockyGrass and Wildflower Pavilion Concerts. The Planet Bluegrass ranch is located in Lyons and surrounded on one side by redstone cliffs and the St. Vrain river.
According to the Boulder County Sheriff's report security staff at Planet Bluegrass notified deputies that a female attending the Folks Festival had fallen from the cliffs along the east side of Planet Bluegrass. Several off-duty medical personnel and an off-duty metro area polic officer witnessed the fall and stabilized Yates-White while venue staff and rescue personnel were summoned.
Yates-White was located 35 feet from the top of the ledge and approximately 100 feet above th St. Vrain river that runs along the bottom of the cliff. Yates-White fell an estimated 15 to 20 feet.
The Rocky Mountain Rescue Group conducted a "high-angle rescue" and evacuated the patient by litter. The Longmont Emergency Unit assisted rescuers and the patient in crossing the river. Yates-White was transported to a local hospital for treatment of moderate injuries to her lower extremities. The entire rescue operation took two hours and also included the Lyons Fire Department and Pridemark Paramedics. The report didn't mention if drugs or alcohol were suspected.
Photo taken by Katherine Weadley.
Comments
I did not realize that "Scree-Climbing" was a sporting event!
My grandson talked to a person who was with the girl who fell. That person said the girl was wearing a skirt and that caused her fall. It's stupid enough to go climbing on extremely loose rock, but in a skirt???
Perhaps climbing ropes-free in front of hundreds of people is a rush for some people. But it was a very inconsiderate stunt to pull in front of the festival-goers. I wanted to enjoy the festival, not fear for someone's life. Seeing that fall has been traumatic. I am glad she survived but wish she had never attempted the climb. It was horrifying.
I was at the concert, and this derailed an excellent performance by Susan Tedeschi. The entire crowd was focused on the rescue operation, which was in our full view the entire two hours. I hope she reads this, and knows there was damage done to a lot more than her lower body.
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