Accidental Death at Enchanted Rock 10/20/01

[Tim Stich]

I have compiled this from several witnesses, some of whom are friends
of mine. The accident occurred coincidentally at the same time a
climbing competition called the Granite Gripper was being held in the
park. The victim was not competing in the comp, although she did talk
briefly to a climber. All comments in brackets are my own.

*****

The name of the victim was Andrea Laffey, a 46 year old psychiatrist
from San Antonio. She [was taken] to the E.R alone and she was seen
alive around 4:30 PM on Saturday by some climbers participating in the
Gripper competition. They spoke with her briefly and saw her putting
her climbing shoes on.

Her dead body was discovered the next day in the morning around 9-10
AM. by the same guy who saw her the day before. They yelled from
Turkey Peak
indicating that there was a person either dying or dead. George, Kurt
Smith, Mario Cantu and I[Eduardo] among other guys rushed to the scene
and saw
her body. George got next to her and it was very obvious that she was
dead.
It appears that she died from trauma sustained in the fall and a
broken neck. Apparently she was soloing in one of the highest parts of
Turkey Peak and she tumbled 100 or more feet down. She was wearing a
pair of almost brand new climbing shoes and rappelling gloves.

*****

One reason I wanted to post this report is to bring up the subject of
the type of person who was involved in the accident. With all of these
climbers in the park, why did she not try to tag along with a group to
see how they climbed? Was it unbridled enthusiam that lead her to try
her hand at climbing solo? Was she naturally a loner?

When I was in college, I had no idea that rock climbing even existed.
I knew about mountaineering from National Geographic, but I had never
seen anyone on the short cliffs of the local Greenbelt. One day when I
was hiking alone, I looked up at what was probably a 5.2 chossy climb
on one of the higher cliffs in the area called the Urban Assault Wall.
I got up to the first big ledge easily, but then found myself gripped
by the prospect of downclimbing. The topout was very loose and full of
shrubs, but I managed to grab a few roots that didn't pull out and I
lived to learn from the experience. Dirty, sweating like mad and my
heart pounding like a drum, I walked back to my car.

It's too bad it didn't turn out better for Ms. Laffey. Take care all.

-Tim Stich