Arapiles Climbing Fatality

In 2024, New Zealander Lee Lee Heath died from injuries sustained from a fall while climbing at Mt Arapiles in Victoria.

The Coroner’s Report on the fatality has been released and clearly describes the events leading up to, and the factors that contributed to the incident. The report identifies several contributing smaller factors and goes on to state that despite these factors, none of which was a significant cause, Lee Lee’s death was a sad and unfortunate accident.

… while I have identified the factors that contributed to Lee Lee’s fall as part of my investigation, it is worth emphasising that those engaging in activities like rock climbing – which is not a regulated sport – are typically well-versed in the risks and of the need to take seriously the safety measures that can mitigate those risks. There is no evidence that Lee Lee or her climbing partner had a different approach, or that they acted recklessly or with disregard for their own safety. Rather, Lee Lee’s death demonstrates what can happen when a combination of smaller factors (ill-fitting shoes, equipment placement, fatigue, poor tying-in) can operate together to increase the risk of a fatality.
(Coroner Ingrid Giles, 17 July 2026)

See also: UPLOADS, an accident analysis system, underpinned by a systems approach to causation.