Climber Missing in Huge Mt. Ranier Avalanche

MOUNT RAINIER, Wash. - One person is missing and two were injured in a huge avalanche on the upper flanks of Mount Rainier early Saturday morning, officials said.

More here:

http://www.katu.com/news/95695844.html

(corrected link

---

The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/2010 09:23AM by Bee.

Mount Rainier National Park (WA)
Ten Climbers Rescued, One Missing Following Avalanche

Eleven climbers were caught in an avalanche on the upper Ingraham Glacier at 4:45 a.m. on June 5th during a summit attempt. Climbers in the area and several involved in the avalanche extricated ten of the eleven people. Two victims were airlifted in a US Army Reserve Chinook helicopter to a local hospital. The missing climber was solo climbing and did not register to climb. After an overdue party report was filed with the park, officials have a possibly identity for the missing climber. The slab avalanche began at 12,500 feet and continued down to 11,200 feet. It was one two meters deep and from 100 to 200 yards wide. After the initial rescue efforts were completed, the ground search was suspended due to high avalanche danger. The park then conducted an air search without locating the missing climber. Weather and avalanche conditions over the next 48 hours are expected to stall search operations. Resources and staff are staged at Camp Muir to continue the search when conditions improve. Invaluable assistance during the incident was provided by the 214th Unit of the US Army Reserve from Fort Lewis, International Mountain Guides, and Rainier Mountaineering Incorporated. A Hughes 530 from Northwest Helicopters assisted in the air search.