TOPANGA : Paramedic’s Death Blamed on Unclasped Harness
An air rescue paramedic fell more than 50 feet to his death in Topanga State Park because a clasp on his safety harness apparently was improperly secured to a helicopter, Los Angeles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman said Wednesday.
The carabiner, an aluminum, spring-loaded device used to secure the harness to the aircraft, was found unlocked, Freeman said at a news conference. Carabiners are commonly used by rock and mountain climbers.
Jeff Langley, 28, of Glendale, died Tuesday when he fell 50 to 70 feet into a canyon from a helicopter as the crew returned for equipment that had been used to retrieve the body of a hiker killed in a fall.
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