A Brooklyn rock climber fell 50 feet and died at Mohonk Preserve yesterday. Lauren Sobel, 25, of Brooklyn, was leading a group of three climbers near the Trapps trailhead around 3:30 in the afternoon, according to police, when the accident occurred. It’s reported that she lost her grip while “setting protection gear in the rocks.”
Sobel’s father David, in a New York Post interview, said his daughter was certified to lead such a group, and that three different safety measures in place to guard against the worst all seem to have failed. Lauren Sobel had been an avid climber who traveled to find new locations, who was introduced to the sport by helping veterans who had lost limbs learn how to do it.
The group was apparently 70 feet up the popular rock face when the tragedy occurred. Sobel was pronounced dead at the scene. State police and forest rangers from the preserve responded.