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Famed Mountaineer Falls to Death

Switzerland's Erhard Loretan had climbed the world's biggest peaks

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 29, 2011 4:23 PM CDT

(Newser) – One of the world's top mountain climbers fell to this death today, reports the BBC. Switzerland's Erhard Loretan—one of a relative handful of climbers to have scaled all 14 world peaks above 8,000 meters (26,247 feet)—fell after a climbing accident in the Swiss Alps. Loretan was known for another incident that marred his acclaim: He pleaded guilty to negligent manslaughter in 2001 after shaking his 7-month-old son to stop his crying. The death led to research highlighting the dangers of shaken baby syndrome, notes the Los Angeles Times.

A 1998 file photo of Swiss mountaineer Erhard Loretan.
A 1998 file photo of Swiss mountaineer Erhard Loretan.   (AP Photo/KEYSTONE/STR)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 15 comments
boxcar
Apr 30, 2011 1:04 PM CDT
Compile a list of HALF-LIFES for "time-of-action" at a variety of human activities, you will find at the short end of the list Mtn Climbing where "Half Life" is defined as the time it takes for half of the participants to have a fatal accident. Just after Mountaineers comes Private Pilots, and after that Motorcyclists.Don't know where bunji-cord jumpers come in on the list but sky divers and free climbers are up there too. Its just a matter of time spent at a particularly dangerous activity before accidents happen resulting in fatalities- Cig smokers are way down on the list as it takes time for ARSENATE of LEAD to build up to a fatal saturation
nobody666
Apr 30, 2011 12:51 PM CDT
Ashes to ashes, mountaineer to mountain, czechwizard into czechwizard, fame to fame, the Sixth Gospel from the dubbed Czech Hollywood Warrior Priest. http://thesixthgospel.blogspot.com/
Twiny
Apr 30, 2011 9:52 AM CDT
If he had been in jail, doing time for killing his son, he'd still be alive today. I guess karma does work, abet a little slowly.

 
obituary • mountain climber • shaken baby syndrome • Erhard Loretan

 
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