Witness to waterfall accident thanks strangers, raises safety concerns

BOLTON — On Friday, July 3, a South Glens Falls man fell 50 feet down Shelving Rock Falls just off Log Bay in Lake George, injuring his head and fracturing his spine. Only slightly over a mile through a trail in the woods from the eastern shore of Lake George, the falls are a popular hiking destination where multiple people are injured each year climbing the slippery rocks, including a 16-year-old girl who fell around 12 feet the day after this incident. Shawn LaChapelle of South Glens Falls and Kayla Bennett of Queensbury visited the falls on a hike to take pictures and relax, Bennett said. Both had visited the falls on a number of occasions, and LaChapelle, an avid hiker, had climbed them both in the summer and when frozen in the winter. While the two stood atop the falls, LaChapelle slipped and was carried by the water down the rocks, where he suffered four lacerations to his head and a three fractures to his lumbar spine, called a compressed fracture. He has no memory of the event. Had it not been for the kindness and bravery of a number of strangers in the area, LaChapelle's injury could have been much more severe, possibly life threatening, Bennett said. Two young men who were also visiting the falls that day stopped LaChapelle as he floated unconscious down the stream, rescuing him from the water before he went down another section of waterfalls. From there, Bennett said, a number of other strangers rushed in to help before she had even made her way down the falls. LaChapelle regained consciousness shortly after he was removed from the water, and a woman from another group of visitors, who happened to be a medical doctor and have a first aid kit on-hand, aided Bennett in wrapping the wounds to LaChapelle's head and ensuring the protection of his broken spine. The woman made a call to 911 at around 4 p.m., and around 45 minutes later, the first responders were on the scene, Bennet said. Responding to the incident were West Fort Ann Volunteer Fire Company, Fort Ann EMS, Fort Ann Volunteer Fire Company, Washington County Sheriff's Office, New York State Police, State Forest Rangers and Bay Ridge Rescue Squad, according to the dispatch records. LaChapelle was airlifted to Albany Medical Center, where he did not require surgery, but was put in a back brace to support his spine. The lacerations to his head required stitches and staples. According to Bennett, LaChapelle was up and moving with the help of a walker on Tuesday, July 7. "He is in good spirits, and doing real well," Bennett said. The biggest shock for Bennett, she said, is that, had it not been a busy weekend, LaChapelle would have been swept away by the powerful current with no one around to intervene. "It's not a hard waterfall to get to," she said. "I don't know how many people fall down it each year, but it does seem like something should be done about it." Bennett suggested that something as simple as a sign on how to spot potential dangers on the falls, or designating some areas off limits could potentially save a life. If it could happen to LaChapelle, it could happen to anyone, Bennett said, especially tourists less familiar with the Adirondack landscape. "Shawn is such an intelligent guy, especially when it comes to hiking," Bennett said. "He's seen that waterfall many times." Above all else, Bennett said she would like to extend her thanks to the strangers who stepped up to help her and LaChapelle through the traumatic incident, whose names she never had an opportunity to learn. "I definitely got some hugs from some strangers," she said. "It's good to know there are good people out there."

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Witness to waterfall accident thanks strangers, raises safety concerns

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