News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sixteen-year-old Rob Smith of Sisters broke his back on September 21 when he fell while sliding down a "zip line" cable strung between two trees at his home.
According to his father, Forrest Smith, Rob fell about 25 feet when the connection that attached a handle to the cable snapped.
Rob installed the zip line in his yard, modeled after one at a friend's house, though the friend's wasn't as high, according to Forrest Smith.
"I told them I'd rather they didn't (put up a line) but I didn't put my foot down," Smith said.
Smith's friend, who was on the scene when the accident occurred, called 911, and emergency crews responded swiftly, according to Smith.
Rob was transported to St. Charles Medical Center, where he underwent surgery to repair a shattered vertebrae.
According to his father, Rob's prognosis is good. The surgery successfully replaced the vertebrae with a bone from Rob's hip, and the youth will carry a metal rod in his back for a year. According to his father, Rob is already on his feet taking short walks and should be able to return to school full time in about a month.
"I'm just glad he's not dead or paralyzed," Forrest Smith said. "I'd urge parents not to let their kids have (zip lines) unless they're commercially built."
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
Reader Comments(0)