Three men have died in a fall while climbing in the North Cascades, Washington state officials say.
Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call reporting a climbing accident at approximately 11:30am on May 11 in the area of North Early Winters Spire, approximately 16 miles west of Mazama.
A party of four climbers, all from Renton, WA, had been involved in a fall while descending a steep gully. Three individuals, all males aged 36, 47 and 63, were confirmed dead at the scene, while the sole surviving climber was able to self-extricate and call for help.
The deceased climbers were extracted by helicopter from what the Sheriff's Office describes as "technical, mountainous terrain," and early investigations point to equipment failure as the cause.
"The presumed cause of the accident is an anchor failure while rappelling, with more investigation still ongoing," states the Sheriff's Office.
Speaking to the New York Times, Undersheriff David Yarnell says the men turned back due to a change in the weather. As they were descending, they fell at least 200ft before sliding another 200ft across a snow-covered chute. The surviving climber reportedly had to hike back to their car and drive 60 miles to call for help using a pay phone. He has been transported to a medical facility and his condition is unknown.
"The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the SAR volunteers and Snohomish County for assisting in this tragic incident. Our thoughts are with the family members and friends of those involved," concludes the Sheriff's Office.
The North Early Winter Spire is a granite rock formation with multiple routes that take climbers up to a summit at 7,760ft (2,365m). According to the Mountain Project, the spire is less popular than neighboring Early Winter Spire because it has no easy way up or down
