Climber injured in fall at Acadia

A 21-year-old student from Old Town, Maine, was lead climbing on a 5.7 pitch on the South Wall of the Precipice on Champlain Mountain in Acadia National Park when he fell 25 feet April 28.

The climber was above the two pieces of protection he'd placed on the granite wall when the second piece, a #4 mechanical cam, pulled out of the rock face. The climber's partner, who was belaying from below, was unable to pull in the excess rope fast enough to prevent him from falling the 25 feet to the base of the rock face, according to the National Park Service.

The climber was not wearing a helmet and sustained serious injuries, including multiple skull fractures and C1 fracture, park service officials said. Rangers were assisted by paramedics from Bar Harbor Fire Department, Mount Desert Island Search and Rescue and local climbers who were on scene. The injured climber was carried by litter for about 30 minutes to a waiting ambulance and then taken to Mount Desert Island Hospital and later taken by LifeFlight ground to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine.