Surviving climbers airlifted from Mount Rainier this morning

News Type: Event — Seeded on Wed Jun 11, 2008 1:04 PM EDT

Article Source: The Seattle Times

us-news, seattle-times, army, seattle, washington-state, blizzard, fort-lewis, snow-storm, mount-rainier-national-park, mt-rainier, camp-muir, s-r, ww7mst, anvil-rock, sara-jean-green, seanet, madigan-army-medical-center, susan-gilmore

Seeded by Tedd Riggs

wo climbers stranded overnight on Mount Rainier were rescued this morning by a Fort Lewis helicopter and taken to Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma.

A third member of their party died on the mountain Tuesday. His body will be retrieved by a private helicopter later this afternoon.

The dead man wasn't taken off the mountain by the Fort Lewis helicopter because Mount Rainier's agreement with the Army is to assist in rescues, not recoveries, said Kevin Bacher, a spokesman for Mount Rainier National Park.

According to Bacher, the survivors were rescued from Camp Muir with a climbing ranger about 6:15 a.m. and they were in good condition. "We're grateful to have them off the mountain and back to their families," he said.

Bacher said they will be examined at Madigan and taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The climbers, two men and a woman, who have not been identified, were part of a three-member party. One died on the mountain Tuesday morning and the other two were suffering severe hypothermia and frostbite after being caught in a blizzard that forced them to spend Monday and Tuesday night on the mountain.

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Tedd Riggs's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: Disaster!, Seattleites
Regions: Seattle/Tacoma

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8.1

{"commentId":1939507,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

Glad that the Army was able to get the last two climber off the mountain. What a freak storm for June and a sad ending to a days hike.

{"commentId":1939507,"threadId":"285967","contentId":"1563250","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

2 votes

#1 - Wed Jun 11, 2008 1:04 PM EDT

{"commentId":1939598,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

Local Video coverage of this from the TV stations

Hikers rescued on Mount Rainier

Bellevue man dies on Mount Rainier

{"commentId":1939598,"threadId":"285967","contentId":"1563250","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

2 votes

#1.1 - Wed Jun 11, 2008 1:20 PM EDT

{"commentId":1940315,"authorDomain":"bigmomma"}

rottlady

I'm kind of surprised they didn't get the dead climber, even if they weren't contracted to do it.

{"commentId":1940315,"threadId":"285967","contentId":"1563250","authorDomain":"bigmomma"}

3 votes

#2 - Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:56 PM EDT

{"commentId":1940440,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

My guess is on that one is the danger of it as their is no place for a helicopter to touch down in the area where the other hiker died and since there already is a large search team on the mountain on foot, they will get to him first. That area is just too rugged to get in and out of unless by foot or the few flat area's that you can get too. I am curious who he was, one of the local MD's in town.

{"commentId":1940440,"threadId":"285967","contentId":"1563250","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

3 votes

#2.1 - Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:12 PM EDT

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	Rainier hiker sacrificed himself to save his wife	Associated Press	Tue Jun 10	6
	Climber loved Mount Rainier, died there	The Seattle Times	Thu Jun 12	9

TEDD RIGGS

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Surviving climbers airlifted from Mount Rainier this morning

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