A 26-year-old woman fell to her death Sunday while descending from the summit of Half Dome within Yosemite National Park.
Hayley LaFlamme, of San Ramon, Calif., plummeted about 600 feet from the cabled route on the granite monolith. The incident is under investigation but thunderstorms were in the vicinity most of Sunday morning and the incident occurred at about noon.
Stormy weather makes for extremely hazardous conditions. Those planning to climb Half Dome should consult a web page set up by the park to show how to prepare for the endeavor.
The last hiker to have died on Half Dome was Majoj Kumar, also from San Ramon, on June 13, 2009. The most recent fatal accident on Half Dome's cabled route before that was in 2007.
Life is really precious. My condolences to the woman's family. I'd suggest for them to visit www.deathletters.org as it really helped me as well when I was going through a similar experience.
Posted by: Andi Smidth | Aug 11, 2012 at 10:32 AM
This is a terrible tragedy. My sincere condolences goes out to the family and friends. I guess she wasn't alone on this trip. It must have been horrible for those accompanying her to witness her fall.
Posted by: Lawyers for hip replacements | Jan 30, 2012 at 03:30 PM
The National Park Authorities are not liable on any occurrences like this. The negligence is on the side of the victims.
Posted by: jaise@hip lawyer | Sep 29, 2011 at 07:18 PM
Sad news indeed. My deepest condolences to her family. May her good soul rest in peace.
Posted by: Phoenix Medical Malpractice | Aug 04, 2011 at 09:41 PM
"The park's website instructs hikers to not climb the cables area when the rock is wet, warning that most accidents on the cables happen when the slopes become slick."
Posted by: decentdiscourse | Aug 02, 2011 at 07:44 AM
Even if the cable snapped, there are the 2 x 4's across the "trail" supported by the metal posts. The route is gnarly for the average hiker and have seen people turn around at the base (especially after sitting at the bottom watching). Whatever the cause, I am sorry for her family and the friends that may have watched it happen.
Posted by: Brock D. | Aug 01, 2011 at 10:32 PM
It's a very sad story but I was told the cable did not snap. I'll try to add details Tuesday. So sorry to report the awful news.
Posted by: Pete Thomas | Aug 01, 2011 at 08:43 PM
Haley was a lovely precious young woman who accidently fell to her death while climbing down Half Dome while cabled. She slipped on a wet rock, the cable snapped and she fell 600 feet to her death. What a tragedy. How could the cable have snapped?
Posted by: John Kukulica | Aug 01, 2011 at 03:22 PM