Another Mt. Rainier climber dies on Liberty Ridge

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Another Mt. Rainier climber dies on Liberty Ridge

Auburn Fire Captain Killed On Mt. Rainier
June 3, 2004
By KOMO Staff & News Services

MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, WASH. - An Auburn firefighter who was an avid mountain climber died Thursday after a fall high on Mount Rainier, the second death in two weeks on one of the mountain's most dangerous routes.

Fire Capt. Jon Cahill, 40, fell 200 feet on Liberty Ridge, about 11,300 feet up the 14,410-foot peak. Rescue climbers and an Oregon National Guard helicopter rushed to reach him, but by the time the helicopter arrived, he was dead, said Mount Rainier National Park spokesman Barry Fraissinet.

The Blackhawk helicopter did pick up Cahill's partner, Bellevue firefighter Mark H. Anderson, 33, and flew him to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he was in satisfactory condition with an injured hand or wrist.

The men, both trained as emergency medical technicians, had planned to reach the summit by midmorning Thursday. It was not immediately known what caused Cahill's fall.

Kimberly McDonald, a spokeswoman for the Auburn Fire Department, said Cahill was an outstanding firefighter who loved climbing. He was married with four children and had been with the department since 1989.

"He was like a family member to all of us," she said.

On May 15, climber Peter Cooley tumbled down a steep, icy slope on Liberty Ridge and hit his head on a rock spur. His climbing partner, Scott Richards, maneuvered the two of them to a tiny flat spot, but the men were stranded for two days as temperatures dipped below freezing in whiteout conditions.

Cooley, 39, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, was picked up by a National Guard helicopter May 17 but died on the way to a hospital. Accompanied by two rangers, Richards hiked down to a glacier the following day and was picked up by a helicopter.

Rescuers were also having to tend to another injury on the mountain Thursday evening. A climber broke his ankle at the 10,000-foot level. Rescuers were still formulating a plan to get him off the mountain as of Thursday evening.

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Mount Rainier Experiences
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Another Mt. Rainier climber dies on Liberty Ridge

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