Eric Shreever Survives 10-Story Fall In Zion National Park (VIDEO)

David Cardona was filming his friend Eric Shreever rappelling down a cliff face at Zion National Park when to his horror Shreever began to free-fall. Miraculously Shreever escaped with nothing more than a sprained ankle and some rope burns on his hands despite falling 10 stories and bouncing off the cliff face.

Cardona caught the whole thing on tape, and he and Shreever appeared on the Today Show to tell the tale. Watch it below.

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Comments

[rocko2466]

12:03 AM on 06/23/2009

Did he died?

[factotem]

05:26 AM on 06/23/2009

Yes, but he came back for the interview. ??

[Cambridge9]

08:06 PM on 06/22/2009

I've been to Zion Nat'l Park and was impressed enough to go a second time - this time taking my sister when she visited the U.S. I remember her cry of anguish when whe saw a couple of climbers on what seemed to be sheer rock-face.

The word 'Zion' translates to 'Place of Peace' and I do believe that this man's family will have peace only if he doesn't try this again.

[mick7191]

08:50 PM on 06/22/2009

Easily one of the greatest places on the planet. Everyone needs to see ZNP, but not taking a 100 foot screamer. Lucky guy. People have died dropping 20 feet.

[Agentprovokatur]

06:41 PM on 06/22/2009

I think that one cost him at least 5 of his apparent 9 lives.

[fishsticks]

06:40 PM on 06/22/2009

No freefall. Rope was still running through his rappel device. He wasn't going fast, he just lost control because it was a long rappel and the friction on his device lessened the further down he went. It's a common mistake for newbies. This headline should be: "novice climber burns hands on rope because he doesn't know what he is doing."

[firstdoc]

07:27 PM on 06/22/2009

lol! i know that your quote should not be so funny, but it is...next time he wont be doing that without a helmet!

[bartonfink]

09:15 PM on 06/22/2009

not a ten story fall, slip, or anything. he slid 3o, 4o ft? sure it hurt, but there's no truth in the advertising

[willamette girl]

06:20 PM on 06/22/2009

that guy is really lucky. bet he was counting his lucky stars - spinning around his banged up head!

[BlackYowe]

05:54 PM on 06/22/2009

All I can say is OUCH!

[TexasGiant]

04:15 PM on 06/22/2009

Come on HuffPost - there are plenty of other media outlets that sensationalize events.

This was not a freefall. There was nothing miraculous about it.

"Amateur Rappeller Descends too Quickly and Burns Hands" is the correct headline, and it isn't newsworthy.

[derrickhoyle]

04:12 PM on 06/22/2009

This is why I stick to trails.

[helonias]

03:53 PM on 06/22/2009

Natural selection

[factotem]

03:13 PM on 06/22/2009

"...he caught what happened next on tape."

No, not really. It's out of frame.
Media sensationalism strikes again.

[Jayson F BA]

03:02 PM on 06/22/2009

Having fallen while repelling a number of years ago in Zion Canyon I know first hand how it feels.

[Ryoki]

02:37 PM on 06/22/2009

He did not free fall. He lost control of his rappel and came down to fast. And climbing with no helmet is not wise.

[the964kid]

01:30 PM on 06/22/2009

The real James Bond.

[MikeRdg]

12:28 PM on 06/22/2009

"blessed head"? --- next Prophet

[Ginik]

12:28 PM on 06/22/2009

The problem was not his rappel device. It was the fact that he (obviously) had not taken the simple precaution of using a "hands free back up." He could have used what's called an Auto Block, which is a loop of cord wrapped around the rope he was rapping down and attached to the belay loop on his harness, or the leg loop of his harness. When the Auto Block is unweighted it slips along the rope. However, if it becomes weighted (i.e. when a climber lets go of the rope), friction causes the Auto Block to grip the rope and stop the fall. There are other ways of doing this . But backing up a rappel with an Auto Block is really Rock Climbing 101. In my opinion, the guy wasn't just lucky...he was lucky and stupid. Also...he should have been wearing a helmet.

[SarcasticFringehead]

01:07 PM on 06/22/2009

Lucky and stupid.
And now a quasi-celebrity claiming his fifteen minutes of fame because of it.

[auegg]

04:08 PM on 06/22/2009

So true!

[petzl]

05:54 PM on 06/22/2009

btw, the problem was his rope diameter. i have feeling they were climbing with double
ropes (8 or 9mm), then used 1 of the ropes for their rappel. and with figure 8 or ATC
(cant remember which, i only use 10/11mm), you dont get enough friction on the rappel
device and you lose control.

omg he had no helmet either? what a lamer.

im sure if one climbs with this guy there is no end to the dangerous crap he pulls.