Emory Grad Student Dies After Jumping Fence at Stone Mountain
Decatur Metro | March 25, 2010 | 10:13 amI’m a few hours late with this news, but for those detached from the news cycle over the past 24 hours, be warned – Stone Mountain is more dangerous than it looks. From the AJC…
The body of an Emory University graduate student reported missing Tuesday night was found Wednesday morning on the sculpted side of Stone Mountain.
Antony Edge plunged some 600 feet to his death after crossing a protective fence on the mountaintop, said Chuck Kelley, the park’s chief of police and fire.
…”The mountain is very deceiving and that’s why we have that fence,” [Kelley] said. “You can start over and it doesn’t look that steep, but when you stop and turn around, the mountain is very steep.”
How can we text this cautionary tale into the brains of all of our Decatur male teenagers?
I, for one, am surprised to read that someone falls off the mountain about once every five years. Wow.
Given the high volume of people that climb to the top I’m actually surprised it doesn’t happen more often.
Most people probably have little to no desire to climb over a fence, but I’m sure that for every twenty or thirty people who visit, there’s one person that thinks about it or tries.
Absolutely tragic. My heart goes out to the young widow.
I hope that park officials will consider laminating this AJC article and posting it at the fence site.
My facetious hought was that, if we could hardwire some common sense into males BEFORE the risky behavior starts, maybe we could prevent some tragedies. They’ve shown with state-of-the-art imaging techniques that the human brain isn’t fully developed until people are in their mid-twenties.
I like Deanne’s idea to laminate and post the story on the fence IF it were ok with the family. My guess is that the young adult male brain (as well as many others) tunes out standard issue warnings. An example makes a stronger impression. While humans have the ability to use logic in limited ways, their natural behavior is only partially logic-based, some less than others!
You know, you may be right that it’s the males who’re not hardwired for some common sense. Ever notice that in videos on TV & the ‘Net that feature “daredevil” (read: foolhardy) antics, the participants are male nearly 100% of the time??? I mean, how often do you see videos of females attempting to light their own flatulence, or dynamiting snowmen, or trying to ride a bike down the tiniest, steepest stair rails? (Heck maybe there are some out there– just sayin’ I’ve never seen one.)
You obviously don’t know any women rugby players.
Heh! Are you saying women rugby players light their own flatulence, dynamite snowmen, and ride bikes down tiny, steep stair rails?
Among other things, YES.
Yes, it wasn’t a good decision to cross the fence. But we should still be sensitive with our responses. I’m not personally offended by any comment, but take the position of a family member and some may be a little more inflammatory than others
I agree…and am going to pull those comments for that reason. I would rather be safe than sorry on this one.
I apologize DM – I didn’t think my comment was harshly directed at the person or family – only his actions. Perhaps reading the AJC article colored my comment. This quote in particular:
” Kelley told the AJC. ‘His wife had told us early on that he was a very adventurous soul and that he always crossed fences that he knew he wasn’t supposed to.’ ”
It would seem that no amont of signage or improved barriers would have helped.
No apology necessary Skeptic. I didn’t take offense, but as I said, in this particular case I’m going to be overly cautious.
Surely Stone Mountain could be a little less mild in their warning signs. All the signs say is “Do Not Cross, Violators will be prosecuted”. Not a word about the danger you put yourself (and perhaps others) in by crossing the fence.
You can see one of the signs here:
http://www.nogodforme.com/images2006/StoneMountain1mp09020616.jpg
That sign reinforces my position that standard issue warnings may not have the desired impact. The sign emphasizes the legal danger and consequences of trespassing, not the physical danger. Note to self to share this tragic example of poor decision-making and trespassing with the young brains in our family. I doubt that there are many who’ve never committed a low level transgression like this one but most transgressors are lucky which unfortunately reinforces immature behavior patterns.
Maybe I’m too much of a hard@ss, but I immediately wonder what it would cost to replace the signs. Before anybody’s knees start jerking, I’m not saying a human life isn’t worth the cost of new signs. And I truly have no idea what it might cost or even how many signs there are–I haven’t been on top of Stone Mtn in decades. But isn’t it kind of obvious why the Park doesn’t want people venturing too close to the edge of that cliff? I honestly believe that it wouldn’t matter what the signs say, some people are going to defy them for whatever reason, and occasionally the consequences will catch up with them. Yes, young people need all the coaching that can be mustered (and nagging and hitting over the head with brickbats and whatever it takes) to help them learn to stop and think before they act. But IMO that job is, first and foremost, their parents’ responsibility (see karass’s note to self). All of that said, I expect I’m in the minority. And I realize it’s a lot easier to hold this viewpoint when I’m not responsible for keeping alive any offspring of my own until their brains finish developing.
If only I had time to try and develop an argument that making toddlers behave in restaurants would keep them from self-destructing when they reach adolescence! 😉
Okay, ever since I wrote that i’ve been thinking the last remark was inappropriately flippant. sorry.
STG – If you happen to know a fool-proof way to make toddlers behave in restaurants, I’m sure all the parents in Decatur would be happy to hear it.
Listen, I don’t think replacing the signs is going to do the trick. This was a tragic accident.
People who are risk takers aren’t going to be deterred by signs.
I think it would be obvious to any intelligent person that a fence at the top of a mountain is there for protection. Falling off of a mountain is a risk one takes.
My heart goes out to this young man’s family. And I think the urge to do something to prevent this is noble.
Do you honestly think that this person didn’t understand he was doing something risky?
“I think it would be obvious to any intelligent person”
Me too. If only it were that simple.
Reply to Jeff: just looking at the parking lot in the distance in that picture almost made my heart stop.
Yes and beyond the sign you can see the parking lot way down there.
Looking at that photo, it seems incredibly obvious that grave dangers may wait on the other side of that fence, regardless of the signage. And anyone who has spent even a moment gazing at the mountain realizes that many sides are nearly vertical rock faces. Heck, even the portion of the Cherokee Trail that climbs the mountain a bit can be very steep, and that’s in the place you are supposed to walk.
This is such a sad story, and my heart breaks for his family and friends. What makes it even sadder to me is the fact that he was not 19 or 20, but 35 and in the Executive MBA program at Emory. We do things at all ages we shouldn’t do, whether it’s climbing fences when we’ve been warned not to or ignoring the speed limit on 285. Most of the time we are lucky and make it through the day, never thinking about what could have happened. His death is a cautionary tale wherein we might want to think twice before discarding what might be sound advice, even if we think it doesn’t sound like fun or doesn’t apply to us.
He was 35 and an adventurous soul. He knew he was taking a risk. Let’s face it, if you love nature, Stone Mountain sucks big time. When you get to the top you feel like you’re hanging out in a parking lot, complete with power lines and asphalt. I’ve never crossed the fence at Stone Mountain, but I have at other parks, knowing that I’m taking a risk. The worst thing you could do for his memory is to put up even more signs that he presumably detested.
Life involves risk and society is better when we have men who are willing to take risks. All this hand wringing over signage is a symptom of what is wrong with boys now days.
This whole situation really stinks and I know a social commentary on safety won’t make it any better for anyone involved. I will, however, say that as the mom of two boys who don’t have a lick of sense in their cute little heads, I agree with you MrBlonde. Trying to protect your sweet little daredevil boys (or girls) from injury only makes them try harder. Well, mine anyway.
I’m going out on a limb here, but I doubt if today’s discussion participants have been very concerned with doing something for this guy’s memory, when contemplating changes to the signage. Also, speaking strictly for myself, I’m usually one of the loudest (and possibly most obnoxious) voices arguing in favor of letting kids take a few lumps so they learn at least a little bit of common sense while they’re still little and the stakes aren’t so high. When it comes to big people, I’m all for letting them look after themselves in this kind of context. I just hope his family can find peace in knowing that he knew he was taking a risk.
With all this talk about “you can’t child-proof the world” (which I strongly agree with), and letting kids take their lumps (which I also strongly agree with), let’s wait and see what the response is when some kid jumps over the fence to retrieve his favorite hat that got blown off his head by the strong winds up there, then loses his life.
You should have seen the response at Six Flags a couple summers ago when some kid decided to hop a fence to retrieve a hat and was beheaded by the Batman ride. Not only did they overdo the signage, they actually paid two security guards who were posted at the fence area (on the sidewalk outside the fence in the parking lot) to monitor people and make sure no one hopped the fence.
Not sure what you’re getting at, Jeff.
smalltowngal,
My wish for a single marker (with the AJC article) was sincerely meant in tribute to the young man’s death. His widow’s honest accounting would hit home with far more folks than any number of signs ever could.
I join you in hoping that his family is taking some comfort from the fact that he died doing what he loved while fully accepting the risk.
This reminds me of all the students who repeatedly cross the tracks to get to Renfroe, despite constant warnings and consequences. Do we have any stats on pedestrians hit by Decatur trains? I know they “should” hear the train but I wouldn’t bet my life on it. Sometimes that train is moving FAST!
To my knowledge, no pedestrian has been accidentally struck a train in the time I have lived here. That doesn’t make it right to cross the tracks, only lucky.
Trains move fast, but those horns are LOUD.
And is it REALLY safer for the kids to walk down to the corner where they come into closer contact with cars? I know a car has better brakes than a train, but I think trying to stop kids from crossing those tracks is a losing battle. And one that the school system and crossing guards will continue to fight, bless them.
I agree that we are between a rock and a hard place on the choices of how to cross the tracks to Renfroe when kids arrive at the tracks smack between the the legal crossings and near neither plus neither legal crossing is particularly safe itself. I know what the legal correct answer is and what I tell my kids (in DEEP trouble and grounded forever if break the law), but I also know what I probably have done at age 11-14 years if late for school. The situation just begs for a pedestrian crossing over or under the tracks. My understanding is that CSX nixes any such crossing no matter what it is or who pays. 120 extra days in purgatory for them!
Given that an over or under the tracks solution is unlikely, what more can be done to redesign or otherwise make the intersections safer without involving CSX? The city has been attentive to the issue and done a lot with crossing guards but what more could be done? I’ll bet anyone who either bikes, walks, or drives over the tracks would support the city spending money on improving the intersections. Those intersections are located in the heart of the city and are vital connections between the north and south sides of the community.
He made a mistake that cost his life. He was familiar with the mountain, and had climbed it for years. So he KNEW, and probably even had climbed that fence before. Things happen. It’s a tragedy. An electric fence perhaps? Because daredevils will be daring ….
As much as many would like to, we can’t childproof the world.