Rock Climbing injury

Question
Hi Nicholas,
My husband was rock climbing indoors at a gym and the harness broke, he fell approx 30 feet causing serious injuries, he has had several surgeries and will never be the same again. Have you ever heard of a harness breaking? It was the little hoop in the front of the harness, it look like it had been worn and was old. It has changed his life dramatically. Just curious if you had ever heard of this happening before.

thanks so much

Answer
Niki,

Not to make light of your situation, but this sounds like a prank.  I personally have NEVER heard of that.  If you are talking about the buckle, the only instance I can think of that comes to mind was in the movie "Cliffhanger".  In the opening scene, a woman's harness buckle breaks, similar to what I think you are describing.  But, to the best of my knowledge, the production staff had to cut the buckle almost entirely through.  When I used to teach, I would use that as an anecdote right before I told students you could hang small cars with most climbing gear.

If you are talking about part of the webbing, wear is not uncommon.  Harnesses, and other climbing gear, do have a life expectancy and should be inspected often, especially with age and frequent use.  I have had this happen with my own equipment.

I hate to bring it up again, but if this is real, I hope you are looking into your legal options because someone is responsible for negligence, whether it be the gym for not inspecting their gear, or the manufacturer.  And don't be afraid of the waiver, if your husband signed one.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.  I think this is very serious.  My direct e-mail address is [email protected].  If for some reason you don't get a response within a day or two, I check this e-mail just about every week day, your e-mail may be blocked, please enter another question here and I will give you additional contact information.

Nick