I see people act out irrational ideas, thinking they are immune to scientific laws and thumbing their nose at random chance.
How else do you account for people such as this wingnut?
Posted on 06/18/2006 11:34:26 AM PDT by Mr. Brightside
Today: June 18, 2006 at 9:1:6 PDT
Yellowstone Tourist Dies in 500-Foot Fall
ASSOCIATED PRESS
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) - A woman lost her footing after stepping over a retaining wall to take a photograph and went over a cliff, falling 500 feet to her death in a canyon, park officials said.
The 52-year-old woman was visiting the park with her husband and two children.
Her husband flagged down a passing motorist, who called 911 after the Saturday morning accident at an overlook along the Yellowstone River, park officials said.
A ranger rappelled down the canyon wall to reach the woman, but she was dead at the scene.
In Michigan, The Grand Rapids Press on Sunday identified the woman as Deb Chamberlin, 52, of Rockford, vice president of the school board in the west Michigan community.
"It's hard for me to articulate right now because I'm still in shock," said Rockford Superintendent Mike Shibler, who said he spoke to Chamberlin's husband, Gary.
It was the second fatal accident in Yellowstone this year. In February, a woman was killed in a snowmobile accident.
Deb Chamberlin, the 52-year-old school board vice president, died after she stepped over a rock retaining wall to take a photograph, lost her footing and fell down an embankment before falling off a cliff.
Nash said Chamberlin and family members -- her husband, son, Alex, and daughter, Kelly -- had pulled their car into a viewing area near Tower Fall shortly before the accident occurred around 10 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time. After the fall, Nash said her husband flagged down a passing motorist, who called 911.
Park rangers arrived soon after and, with a scope, spotted Chamberlin on the floor of a steep narrow canyon near the Yellowstone River. Nash said they could not get a raft in to rescue her because the spring snowmelt had raised the river level too high.
A ranger eventually rappelled down to Chamberlin and found she had died, Nash said.
Park rangers used a stretcher suspended from a helicopter to pull Chamberlin from the canyon shortly after 3:30 p.m.
He said the retaining wall was there to provide "a measure of safety" for visitors, but it was not unusual for people to step over it to get photographs.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-30/1150612889137260.xml&coll=6
Gravity 1, common sense 0.
Unfortunately, she is disqualified from the Darwin Award because she has already reproduced.
However, I think she does merit an honorable mention.
Stupidity *should* be fatal, or at least very painful.
She stepped over the wall or was encouraged to step over the wall?
I read this earlier. Very sad. It's beyond me why she would cross the retainer wall.
There is a lesson here.
Better safe than sorry.
Dear God, please help this family as they mourn the loss of their loved one.
Did she at least get the pic while on the way down?
I was going to make a thoughtless comment........... but I thought again.
Tragic accident, I am so sorry.
ROFLMAO!
To me, she derserves respect. Her husband and kids saw here die.
Not comparable to some drunken redneck who killed himself trying to impress his girlfriend by igniting a firework in the front sear of his car.
I think I was outdone by post 9. :-)
I agree, it's tragic. Still, it's a safe bet either Darwin or foul play is involved. Most likely the former.
Because people..
are stupid.
There was a teenager in Hawaii who stepped over the fence to get a "closer" look at the blowhole..
Too many people who don't realize physics is sometimes NOT your friend.
"Apparently, she didn't think the wall was meant to keep her out. Some people think warning signs and railings do not apply to them."......
For some reason, in my personal experience, most of these types seem to be Dems.....
Back a ways in my family tree... great or great-great grandparents... There is a notation that the woman's first husband "died in fall from cliff". Shortly thereafter, she married the first husband's brother.
Now... maybe they found comfort in each other after the death, but I think it's possible he was pushed. :~D
Not sure why I just thought of that.
Condolences to this woman's family, certainly.
Same here but Faiths post shamed me into not.
My father was fond of saying "Stupidity is often it's own reward."
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