A man died Sunday morning as he rappelled off Devils Tower in Wyoming. Steward Phillip Porter, 21, was descending from a climb at 8:00 a.m. when he fell. Emergency responders arrived at 8:40 a.m. and declared the Eau Claire, Wisc., native dead at the scene.
His partner was stranded on the wall and was later rescued.
Porter and his climbing partner had been rappelling from the second pitch of El Cracko Diablo, a 5.8 trad climb, when he fell. He sustained “serious injuries” in the accident, according to the National Park Service (NPS) press release.
According to officials, Devils Tower Lodge Climbing Guides, Buck Wild Climbing Guides, and NPS staff assisted in the rescue of his partner.
“We don’t know what happened yet,” Devils Tower Superintendent Doug Crossen told Cowboy State Daily. “The incident is still under investigation.”
Devils Tower has been a popular climbing objective since the early 1900s. Officials say accidents at the Tower are rare, but they do happen. In the last 100 years, there have been seven fatalities at Devils Tower.
“The majority of climbing accidents and deaths on the tower occur during the rappel,” NPS officials noted, encouraging extra safety and precautionary measures while climbing and rappelling at Devils Tower.
NPS: Spare No Precaution, Climb Safely at the Tower
Rappelling is generally one of the most dangerous parts of any trad climb, because you have to put all of your trust in just one or two anchors. The NPS press release on this Devils Tower incident includes a list of safety precautions for climbers who rappel at the national monument.
It notes that NPS does not maintain any anchors on the rock routes, making it extremely important for climbers to check every anchor and back them up if necessary.
When rappelling, NPS encourages climbers to know the route and where they’re going.
“Start rappels over the nose of columns to prevent ropes from jamming in cracks,” officials said. “Avoid knocking loose rock onto climbers below. Many rappels require two ropes; know the distance of your planned rappel before beginning.”
NPS continues, noting that all routes at Devils Tower are long and sustained climbs that require technical rock climbing skills and knowledge. NPS recommends looking at multiple sources when researching a route, as suggested gear tends to vary between guidebooks.
It also recommends wearing climbing helmets, checking the weather forecast ahead of your climb, and watching for animals as you make your way.
“In the event of an emergency, remain calm and attempt to call 911 or yell down to the Tower Trail,” officials said. “Assistance from local resources and monument staff may be available, though rescue is not certain.”
Devils Tower Fatality: Accidents Happen
Devils Tower is an anomolous rock pillar that juts up seemingly out of nowhere from Wyoming’s eastern plains. It was first climbed by westerners in 1893 and has been a popular destination for rock climbers for decades. NPS estimates that between 5,000 and 6,000 climbers visit the formation every year.
Prior to Porter’s death, the last fatal incident at Devils Tower was in 2017, when a lawyer from Gillette, Wyo., fell while climbing and lost his life. The most current fatality before that was in 2003.
While this latest incident is still actively under investigation, none of the rock climbing routes at Devils Tower (including El Cracko Diablo) will be closed, reported the Cowboy State Daily.
For more information on rock climbing at Devils Tower, visit the National Park Service website for the national monument.
