Heavy snowfall and avalanche delay search operation of 3 NY climbers who died in Washington’s Cascade Mountain
CHELAN COUNTY, WASHINGTON: Officials are attempting to recover the bodies of three mountain climbers who died in an avalanche on Sunday, February 19, in Washington's Cascade Mountains. The climbers were from the tri-state area of New York.
However, heavy snowfall, hazardous avalanche conditions and high winds have kept the searchers away from reaching the trio identified as a 53-year-old man from Connecticut, a 60-year-old woman from New York and a 66-year-old man from New Jersey. They were part of a six-member group who were trying to summit the 8,705-foot Colchuck Peak when one member of the party unintentionally triggered an avalanche, according to the Chelan County Sheriff's Sgt Jason Reinfeld.
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Four of the climbers were swept about 500 feet
The group was unaware of avalanche forecast
Four of the climbers were swept about 500 feet (152 meters) down the slope where two immediately died, as per a report. A third climber suffered a knee injury but was able to administer CPR to the fourth who later died, The New York Times reported. The group had been unaware of the avalanche forecast for Sunday morning. Without phones or other means of communication, the three climbers who made it back to base camp were reunited with the seventh climber who had stayed behind.
The seventh climber hiked over 8 miles to get help
A seventh member of the group, a 53-year-old from Maryland who one who remained at base camp rather than participate in Sunday’s climb, hiked out to get help — an arduous overnight journey that included a descent of about 4,000 vertical feet (1,219 meters) over 8 miles (12.9 kilometers). He was able to contact the sheriff’s office by 8 a.m. Monday to relay what had happened, Reinfeld said.
Rescuers unable to reach victims buried under avalanches
Rescuers have been unable to reach the victims who are believed to be buried under snow after multiple avalanches. Four members of the Chelan County Mountain Rescue reached the base camp but determined that "avalanche conditions were too hazardous to continue to the deceased climbers," according to the CCSO.
In total, 22 first responders assisted in the effort on Monday, February 20, the CCSO said. "Rescuers were not sent back into the scene today due to hazardous conditions," the office said in its statement Tuesday, February 21. "CCSO continues to work with Northwest Avalanche Center to assist in a recovery plan." The climbers' deaths were the first fatalities during the season, Scott Schell, executive director of the Northwest Avalanche Center, told Times.