However, his death didn't need to happen. His loved ones shouldn't need to be grieving over his loss. He chose to do this. I wish he hadn't.

Not only is this reckless, ill-planned activity stupid, but I fear it will also inspire others to try what he did. They'll do it to try and prove prove that they're smarter and can do it without getting hurt. And more people will be injured or killed as a result.

Just.Fucking.Wow.

I get particularly angry when the Washington Post runs its feature "Faces of the Fallen" showing the pictures and names of all the beautiful young people killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. These deaths should not have happened, because there is no legitimate reason for our troops to be there. These deaths were needless.

I get way beyond angry when I see beautiful young children massacred by lunatics with guns. These deaths also should not ever have happened, because there is no legitimate need for the average person to buy and own military style weapons.

And I get angry when healthy young kids get killed doing stupid senseless things like car-surfing, or drag-racing. Or jumping off rock formations.

Why? Partly because I'm a mother to two daughters in their late 20s. When I see each needless loss, I imagine all the work that went into raising each of these children and young people, from the painful labor each mother endured giving birth to them, to teaching them basic skills, encouraging them, taking them to sports practices, sending them to school, preparing them for adult life. To see all that life and love and toil get wasted through acts of stupidity (like wars and crimes and plain disregard for safety) makes me want to scream.

Perhaps what I said about the Darwin awards seemed heartless, but to me it was a coping mechanism - a way to keep from screaming about needless losses of life. When I worked (for 25 years) as a newspaper reporter, I was constantly writing about deaths and injuries from accidents, fires, drownings, shootings and more. Sometimes I was there at the scenes. When you're continually exposed to these things (as police, doctors, firefighters and paramedics are on an even more frequent and intense level) sometimes you joke a bit to keep from screaming.

My apologies to those I may have offended.

Once in awhile safety precautions are overlooked, and tragic events are the result.

I do not feel that this is "Darwin Award" material whatosever.

"Sheriff's Lt. Kim Neal told The Salt Lake Tribune the length of rope from the arch was miscalculated and sent Stocking swinging into the ground as he went under the red sandstone formation."

I'd say this is exactly what the Darwin Awards have been about - someone undertaking a voluntary activity, and through their own error, killing themselves. The equipment didn't fail by chance; he miscalculated the rope length. This wasn't about a 'safety precaution'; he was doomed from the moment he gave himself too much rope.

...that the individual is implied as being genetically inept.

This was a terrific accident that ultimately cost this young man his life.

ie calculate the correct length of rope. His judgement of his own competence was wrong. It wasn't an accident, in the sense of something that might or might not have happened with nobody able to tell which, ahead of time.

but I'm sure you know that.

and I feel sorry for his friends and family.

heartless world.

Enjoy the beauty for what it is instead of needing to "have fun" doing crazy stuff like this.

Um, yes?

I'd certainly be wearing a helmet/knee pads/arm pads... etc.

Also I'd need to be much more "fit" right now I'd snap the rope if I tried.

Have to take some risks in life, even if some are... well... foolish.

When doing rescue rappel we avoided doing the jumps...it is really not healthy for the rope.

Ok, if we had to, we did...I retired a rope after one of those. Trust me, it was not healthy for the rope, even though it looked fine...it was retired into segments it was cut to practice knot tying.

I guess we rescue workers are scaredy cats. This is reason 1 why I do not do anything involving a rope/ mountaineering gear that I have no personal contact to the handling log.

As soon as I saw one of the videos I knew it would end badly.

They tend to test these rigs that way. Sounds like he did math, the math was wrong (either on the measurement side, or on the calculation side), and it resulted in his untimely death.

Sorry Kyle, you only got second place for this stunt.

and weakening natural structures which are beautiful to look at. To not even mention the pollution and litter that these mobs shit behind them, and leave to deface the area.

One of the risks you assume in climbing mountains is, you might not live. And if you do, you might not come back with 100% of what you went there with. Hard for me to feel much of anything for those who take these risks and lose. It's a free country and you are free to take those risks.

I've seen sandstone eroded by climbing ropes. It might be pushing credibility to say it would happen in this case (I think the back and forth action of the rope being pulled does the damage), but if they need an excuse to stop people, it could be worth a try.

This sort of thing is already notorious in regards to bungee jumping. Anyone preparing to perform such an act literally has their lives in their hands. This man does not appear to have given the preparation the grave consideration it deserved.

PB

at least death my swinging is rare
just saying.

"here, hold my beer."

The article states that the individual was clipped into a waist harness and misjudged the slack in the line.

It sounds to me like an adequately equipped recreational thrill seeker involved in a tragic accident.

Ten years ago I shattered my ankle on a route, properly equipped in an accident; they happen.

Stop making me laugh about this.

he used an ACME rope.

Yeah, dying sucks, but damn this sounds like a roadrunner cartoon.

Guaranteed for the life of the user!

Or at least, it shouldn't be, but I can't stop giggling.

because that's the funniest damn thing I've seen in my life. Sucks that the guy died, but the jokes do kinda make themselves.

I can't wait for all my nieces and nephews to get above the age 25.
The crazy things we do/did while we are young.

And so recently!

Other than that, what's the problem here?

Constant reminders of why I hardly visit anymore.

The lack of compassion and understanding and quick judgement is becoming a blight on what was otherwise a bright spot in my day.

60 foot drop, 70 foot bungee cord.