Backcountry Climber Falls from Sluiskin Mountain

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News Release Date: September 15, 2015
Contact: Fawn Bauer, PIO, 360-569-6701

Weather conditions cooperated this morning for searchers in Mount Rainier National Park who located and extracted a climber who suffered a fatal fall while climbing in the northern part of the park. Inclement weather with white-out conditions on Monday impeded efforts to locate the climber by air.

On Sunday, September 13th, a party of three left Carbon River to camp and climb in the Lake Crescent area. After a successful climb of The Chief (elevation 7026 feet), one of the climbers fell during his descent. The Chief, one of the two summits of Sluiskin Mountain, is a pronounced, rugged peak located in an isolated area just east of Windy Gap on the Northern Loop Trail.

This morning, Mount Rainier National Park's exclusive-use helicopter, along with a ground team of two park rangers reached the victim, who is being transferred to the Pierce County Medical Examiner. 

A Northwest Helicopters' MD 500 assisted with search efforts on Monday. 

-NPS-

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