Sad news to geocaching

[+Carbon Hunter]

A sad story out of Washington state in the USA

 

http://www.khq.com/Global/story.asp?S=11516698

 

With a thread in the US - Northwest side for follow up.

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...p;#entry4130649

 

A 56 year old cacher slipped on wet pine needles and fell to his death.

 

A sad story - but we trust that this story remains an exception in our hobby. Condolences and trust that none of us will ever need to be involved with anything remotely similar.

 

Thanks to Anton for alerting me to this.

Edited November 18, 2009 by Carbon Hunter

[+GEO936]

This is awful news and very tragic for the family that experienced it. We send our condolences and thoughts to them. Thank you for letting us know about it CH.

[+Louise_Gerhard]

This is sad and most tragic. My sincere condolences to this family and team. Does anyone know the waypoint and the cache in question? Gerhard

[+Carbon Hunter]

This is sad and most tragic. My sincere condolences to this family and team. Does anyone know the waypoint and the cache in question? Gerhard

It was apparently kept anonomous (according to the other thread).

 

I must say I'd feel absolutely terrible if anything like this happened at one of my caches.

 

I would even feel bad if someone was mugged near one of my caches.

[+Tricky Vicky & Mickey]

What a terrible thing to have happened. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Anderson family at this time.

 

Also feel very sorry for the cache owner - although it certainly is not his fault, one can't begin to imagine how he or she must be feeling right now.

 

Maybe this is a wake-up call for us all - go carefully ............ keep safe.

[+Louise_Gerhard]

My condolences as well. Without question the main responsibility for this accident lies with the victim. Anyone engaged in hiking, climbing or similar outdoor activities can suffer such an accident and it is our responsibility to watch where we go and be physically fit and prepared enough for the terrain we are traversing.

 

That said, I am disappointed at all the posts here suggesting that no one else shares responsibility. Groundspeak has been irresponsible about cache placement and approval from day one and I predicted years ago that it would go out of business after the first big geocaching wrongful death suit, which would land it in bankruptcy. I have reviewed the cache description. Out of respect for the local geocachers who are circling the wagons around the owners, I won't post it here, but if anyone wants to know which cache it is, e-mail me. So far as I can tell the description provides reasonable warnings and I am not suggesting they are in any way to blame. However, as a lawyer (not familiar with Washington law), I would guess that if a suit is brought the owners and the approver, as well as Groundspeak, all have a good chance of being held liable under any number of legal theories (attractive nuisance, insufficient warnings, etc.) Frankly, I'm surprised geocaching has lasted this long. If this death doesn't do it, another one will sooner or later. I have gone for quite a few high terrain caches but I don't hide them for this reason, i.e. in order not to entice anyone to do something that would lead to their death or serious injury. Avoiding legal liability is an issue, too, but obviously not as important as keeping others safe. Just hiding a high terrain cache, with or without proper warnings, is like one 12-year-old daring another to stand on the railroad tracks and not jump off until the train is right there. The kid who accepts the dare is mainly responsible, but so is the darer. All this secretiveness about cache and owner is itself evidence an obvious consciousness of guilt.

 

To me this is the wrong comment at the wrong place and at the wrong time by a chartered member group. I will not comment on the American forum out of respect to the Anderson family but it was a shocker to me to read this. This annoys me. This belongs away from this specific topic and I am not saying it is right neither wrong but give the family time to grieve and let them first come to terms with their loss before we get any clever comments. I hope you read this comment and at the same time I hope the family do not read your comment. This is not cool. Gerhard

[+BruceTP]

To me this is the wrong comment at the wrong place and at the wrong time by a chartered member group. I will not comment on the American forum out of respect to the Anderson family but it was a shocker to me to read this. This annoys me. This belongs away from this specific topic and I am not saying it is right neither wrong but give the family time to grieve and let them first come to terms with their loss before we get any clever comments. I hope you read this comment and at the same time I hope the family do not read your comment. This is not cool. Gerhard

 

America is a very litigious society and it is therefore not unexpected to read comments like this. It is also human nature to seek someone or something to blame for our contretemps. It is, however a topic which should be debated in due course with reference to South African jurisprudence on a neutral forum void of the vestiges of this tragedy.

[+Carbon Hunter]

Gerhard - I agree - I was surprised to read such a comment from a charter member. He may make valid points - but I feel a seperate thread away from this tradgedy would have been far more senstive place to discuss this.

 

I feel for the cachers family, the cacher who placed the cache - and any others that are involved.