fell and broke his knee. Quickly, yates tied a rope to himself and then to his friend. he began lowering simpson down the mountain and, for hours and hours,yates helped simpson get down the mountain. they were getting close to the glacier at the bottom of the mountain but suddenly simpson slipped . this time he went over the edge of a cliff, he was hanging in mid-air. simpson shouted up rotates, but the wind was blowing loudly and yates couldn't hear him.