The Recall Desk
HighCPSC·22091·Announced 2022-03-02

Petzl PIRANA Descender Canyoneering Devices Recalled for Drowning Risk

Petzl is recalling about 3,450 PIRANA descender canyoneering devices because the rope can get caught in the blocking slot, stopping or suspending the climber and creating a drowning risk under waterfalls or pools.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall presents a risk-of-harm product (drowning risk in a life-safety context) where no injuries have been reported. Per the severity rubric, this criterion yields a High (score 3) rating: the hazard is serious and credible but remains theoretical without confirmed illness or injury.

Plain-English summary

Petzl America, Inc. is recalling the PIRANA descender, an aluminum adjustable friction descender device for canyoneering. The device comes in orange (model D005AA00) and black (model 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 recall affects approximately 3,450 units sold in the United States (plus approximately 177 in Canada). The devices were sold nationwide through REI, Karst Sports, Backcountry.com, www.petzl.com, and other websites and outdoor stores from July 2019 through January 2022 for about $39.

The hazard is that the user's rope can get caught or wedged in the PIRANA blocking slot, which can stop or suspend the climber. This poses a drowning risk if the climber is under a waterfall or pool. No injuries have been reported.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled PIRANA descender devices and contact Petzl for a full refund, including shipping. Petzl will provide a postage-paid label to return the recalled descender. Contact Petzl toll-free at 877-807-3805 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. MT Monday through Friday, by email at [email protected], or online at www.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/recalls or www.petzl.com (click on "Sport, Customer Service, Safety Alerts" and select "PIRANA Descender recall").

The recalled product

Product
PIRANA descender canyoneering devices
Manufacturer
Petzl America, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah
Category
Consumer Product — Climbing and Canyoneering Equipment
Hazard
  • rope-entanglement
  • drowning-risk
  • suspension-hazard
Affected units
3,450

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

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