Does the owner wait until it goes out or is it on a scheduled basis whether it needs it or not.
I'm sure that the tower owner has that bulb changed out on a regular schedule, rather than waiting for it to burn out. A burned out marker light on a tower requires notification to the FAA, and possible hefty fines if not fixed immediately.
With them alternating between climbing and belaying off, the fall would just be painful, probably not deadly...
It looked like he was free-climbing the last part of the way. I'm sure the fall wouldn't be deadly. The sudden deceleration at the end of it might not be too healthy, though. Unfortunately, a fall from a height like that gives you plenty of time to think about it...
