Climber’s grieving family highlight equipment risk
Family of the young American climber who died while rock climbing in the Coromandel are on a mission to try to avoid other “avoidable” deaths in our mountains. Lauren “Kimi” Worrell died while preparing to descend a challenging 120m rock face at Castle Rock on August 19.
The 28-year-old was an experienced rock climber and her climbing partner hurried to raise the alarm.
In a statement, her family said they wished to highlight a safety risk to those in the climbing community.
“The family ask climbers to consider very carefully their reliance on equipment left permanently fixed to rock faces, and the condition of this equipment.
“This equipment will naturally be affected by UV rays and other elements of nature, affecting its condition and reliability.”
A private memorial service will be held tomorrow to celebrate Kimi’s life.
A Rahui has been placed on Castle Rock until it can be lifted by local iwi next week.
The family have travelled from California.
They would like to thank the two rock climbers who attempted a rescue, the Kuaotunu Land Search and Rescue Team who assisted on the day, members of the New Zealand Police, the US Consulate, and friends in New Zealand.
A Givealittle page has been created in order to start a legacy fund in Worrell’s name, the proceeds of which will be placed in a trust.
The trust would be used exclusively to replace existing fixed lines and hardware in climbing areas around the country.
“We are working to make climbing accessible and safer to everyone, and to prevent avoidable deaths like this in the future,” the family statement said.
Worrell was a United States citizen but lived in Auckland and completed her masters degree at the University of Auckland.
She had achieved an A+ on her thesis New Directions for Sustainable Transport Policy in Auckland.
Worrell’s legacy page was created on Thursday and has already raised more than $2000.
Worrell’s death is being investigated by the coroner.
We are working to . . . prevent avoidable deaths like this in the future. Lauren Worrell’s family