Petzl Recalls PIRANA Descender Canyoneering Devices Due to Drowning Risk
CPSC recall 22091 · announced March 2, 2022 · Petzl America, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah · 3,450 units affected
The product
This recall involves the Petzl PIRANA descender, an aluminum adjustable friction descender device for canyoneering. The descender has three rope installation options that allow the user to select the degree of friction before initiating a descent. A friction spur allows the user to increase braking power during descent. A plastic ring keeps the connector positioned to facilitate rope installation while the device is connected to the harness. The descender comes in orange (D005AA00) and black (D005AA01) with serial numbers ranging between 19 F 0000000 000 and 22 A 9999999 999. Serial numbers are located on the frame of the product.
The hazard
The user's rope can get caught or wedged in the PIRANA blocking slot and stop or suspend the climber, posing a drowning risk if they are under a waterfall or pool.
What to do (per CPSC)
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled PIRANA descender devices and contact Petzl for a full refund, including shipping. Consumers will be provided a postage-paid label to return their recalled descender. Remedy type: Refund
Notes
Incidents (per CPSC): None reported
Sold at: REI, Karst Sports, Backcountry.com, www.petzl.com, and other websites and outdoor stores nationwide from July 2019 through January 2022 for about $39.
Consumer contact: Petzl toll-free at 877-807-3805 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. MT Monday through Friday, email at Returns@petzl.com or online at www.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/recalls or www.petzl.com and click on "Sport, Customer Service, Safety Alerts" and select "PIRANA Descender recall" for more information.
Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission public recall data. This page reports official records and is not legal, medical, or repair advice.