Devastating Accident Leads to One Climber's Death and a Stranded Partner

While climbing Devils Tower in Wyoming, a pair of climbers experienced a tragic accident, leaving one killed and the other stranded.

Devils Tower in Wyoming / Unsplash

Devils Tower is a famed climbing destination, particularly for traditional climbers, drawing people in from around the country. The Tower has unique geological features which present parallel cracks and hexagonal columns.

According to the National Park Service (NPS), Devils Tower has between 5,000 and 6,000 climbers each year. This year, on September 22, two of those climbers were Stewart Phillip Porter and his climbing partner, whose name remains undisclosed.

Just before 8 p.m. on Sunday, Devils Tower Law Enforcement received a call notifying them of a climber who had fallen. Rescue teams arrived to the scene at 8:40 p.m.

"Stewart Phillip Porter, a 21-year-old male from Eau Claire, WI, was rappelling the second pitch of El Cracko Diablo when he fell, sustaining major injuries. He was pronounced dead on scene by a Hulett EMS Paramedic," the National Park Service wrote in a statement.

His climbing partner was rescued by Devils Tower Lodge Climbing Guides and Buck Wild Climbing Guides after being stranded on the wall following the incident.

Devils Tower is 867 feet from base to summit, and the El Cracko Diablo route is listed on Mountain Project as a two-pitch, 5.8 traditional route using the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS).

"The majority of climbing accidents and deaths on the Tower occur during the rappel. The National Park Service does not maintain anchors - inspect all anchors and back them up if necessary," the NPS wrote. Ensure you know know the location of your rappel route before you begin. Start rappels over the nose of columns to prevent ropes from jamming in cracks."

Additionally, climbers are reminded to tie stopper knots to prevent rappelling off the ends of the rope. Many guidebooks and online resources, such as Mountain Project, provide information about rappel conditions and gear requirements.

The NPS explained that in over 100 years, there have only been seven climbing-related deaths and stated, "While climbing fatalities at Devils Tower are infrequent, it is still inherently dangerous."

The events leading up to the fatal accident have yet to be released to the public.