3 climbers die in fatal fall in North Cascades, survivor flown to Harborview
The Brief
Three climbers suffered a fatal fall while coming down from a steep climb in Mazama's Early Winter Spires area.
Search and rescue crews got the call on Sunday from a fourth climber who made it out alive, now recovering in Seattle.
MAZAMA, Wash. - Three people are dead, and another one is fighting for their life after a climbing accident in Okanogan County took a tragic turn.
What we know
The Okanogan County Sheriff's Office says the climbers fell while coming down from a very steep climb in Mazama's Early Winter Spires area.
That survivor was able to climb out and call for help, then they were air-lifted to Harborview Medical Center for treatment of injuries.
"This was a pretty big incident for us," said Christina Woodworth, Search and Rescue Coordinator for the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office.
Search and rescue coordinator Christina Woodworth says a fourth climber with the group made it out and that's what alerted their team that they needed to jump into action.
The Okanogan County Sheriff's Office tells FOX 13 that the group was about 16 miles west of Mazama, climbing near the North Early Winters Spire.
"It was decently nice down in the valley, but I did hear that this climbing party encountered some bad weather up in the mountains and that's what caused them to descend," said Woodworth.
FOX 13 crews were told there may have been a problem with an anchor that was being used while the group was rappelling.
Woodworth says the four victims fell while descending a steep gully while they were at around 6,500 feet.
"They fell about 200 feet of pretty vertical terrain, along with probably several hundred more feet of tumbling more moderate terrain," said Woodworth.
FOX 13 talked to a friend of the climbers briefly by phone. She said they would want to be in peace, adding that two were from Renton, one from Bellevue.
While the surviving member of the group recovers, the climbing community has also been offering them words of support online and condolences for those lost.
"We don't often have incidents with this many fatalities," said Woodworth.
Although there is an inherent risk involved with climbing, she says there are things climbers can do to protect themselves.
"We would say if you are recreating, make sure to double-check you built an adequate anchor for what you are doing," said Woodworth.
Woodworth says as soon as Highway 20 opens in the spring, rescue teams tend to respond to more search and rescue incidents in the area. The names of those who have fallen have not yet been released.
The Source
Information in this story came from the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.
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