Tall Ship Trainee Injured in Fall from Main Mast

A trainee aboard the brig Lady Washington was hospitalized after a 67-foot fall, according to a reports in the Daily Astorian and the Seatttle Post-Intelligencer. Lukas Efler of Zurich, Switzerland was climbing the main mast to its highest point on Saturday when he slipped and fell, said the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, which owns the vessel. The trainee was wearing a safety harness, but he may have been clipped to the wrong line. The accident occured while the ship was in Ilwaco, Washington for a local festival. The victim is hospitalized in stable condition. The Lady Washington is a replica of an 18th century brig that sailed up the coast of Washington and Oregon. It is used for educational and sail-training cruises. The GHHSA also owns the Hawaiian Chieftain, another replica vessel, which was also in Ilwaco at the time of the accident.