Rooftop tragedy

Walter G. Ayala, 18, died Saturday at local Sanders Quarry after diving from the “Rooftop” jump. \nThe Washington, Ind., teen was in Bloomington with two friends for the Indiana High School Athletic Association Track & Field State Championship, according to a Monroe County Sheriff’s report. The three friends decided to visit the quarries for a swim and had been at Sanders for about an hour jumping from different ledges when the accident occurred.\nUnfortunately, Ayala isn’t the first victim of a tragic accident at this quarry.\n“As far as I can remember, it seems like we’re called out at least once a summer,” said Sgt. Troy Thomas of the Monroe County Sheriff’s department. “One of the other officers went twice in the same day for drownings.” \nDrowning isn’t the only hazard present at Sanders and other quarries. \n“The biggest thing is that this property is not a park, it’s not maintained as a park,” said Brett Skilbred, director of quarry operations and materials at Indiana Limestone which owns Sanders quarry. He cited vehicles dumped in the water, old mining equipment and rocks falling or jutting out of the water as other major problems. “There are dangers everywhere.”\nThe height of the Rooftop jump in itself is a danger. The drop from the ledge to the surface of the water, depending on the water level, is approximately 65 feet according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s department.\nResults of Ayala’s autopsy are still pending. The Monroe County Sheriff’s report stated Ayala “hit the water face forward and it appeared that his head snapped back when he hit the water.” No alcohol was involved in the accident, according to the police report.\n“I’ve been quarry jumping before, and I’ve always associated these accidents with people that were drunk and being stupid,” said Deputy Coroner Liz Fiato. “This was just one of those really innocent accidents when they were jumping and they hit wrong.”\nIn addition to the danger of jumping from these quarry ledges, simply being on the property is illegal. \n“There is no vantage point on the property where you don’t realize you’re on private property,” Skilbred said. He went on to list the different precautions the company has taken to ensure visitors realize they are trespassing, like gates with locks and various signs posted throughout the area. Indiana Limestone also hired a private security company, Bloomington Parking Management LLC, last summer to patrol the area and ticket those who are trespassing. \nSome in the community have questioned the possibility of filling in the quarry to prevent more accidents of this nature from happening. However, even though this area is not currently being mined, the company doesn’t want to close it completely because of the possibility of future mining.\n“The property still holds considerable reserves and if filled in the reserves are lost, so we maintain strategic holes so that we can extract dimensional stone in the future,” Skillbred said. “At this point we don’t have a need to open that quarry but we do see a day when that need will arise.”\nUntil then, local law enforcement and the company plan to continue working to prevent more accidents of this nature from happening. \n“As summer days come along the patrols out there increase anyhow,” Thomas said. “We’re going to increase our patrols even more starting (Monday), including heavy patrol on Fairfax Road and Old State Road 37 trying to deter individuals from the area.”\nAs tempting as the quarries may be as a summer swimming hole, Thomas reminds everyone of its dangers.\n“We do the things that we’re doing to prevent these things from happening,” he said. “When it does, it’s a sad day for everyone.”