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(Photo by: Lyn Topinka/U.S.Geological Survey)
Searchers on Saturday found bodies of two Washington state climbers on Mt.
Washington, still roped together after 150-foot fall.
Two climbers die on slopes of Mount Washington
'Very experienced' Washington men hadn't scaled peak before
From Bend.com news sources
Saturday, July 31, 2004 5:37 PM
July 31 - Two “very experienced” climbers from Washington state fell about 150
feet to their deaths on the slopes of Mount Washington after their climbing
safety gear apparently failed, Linn County Sheriff Dave Burright said Saturday
after searchers found and a National Guard helicopter removed the two men’s
bodies.
The two men, identified as Thomas A. Seifert, 46, of Goldendale and Gary L Gentz,
50, of White Salmon, had set out Thursday for what was supposed to be a one-day
climb of the 7,794-foot peak, which sits on the Linn-Deschutes County line, not
far south of the Jefferson County border.
When the pair didn’t return home as scheduled, family members contacted
Deschutes county sheriff’s officers, who eventually found their vehicle, parked
at the Pageant Lake trailhead, near Big Lake, Burright said.
Linn County authorities were advised, and a search organized, the sheriff said.
Organizations involved included the Linn County Search and Rescue Post, the
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit, and mountain rescue groups
from Eugene and Corvallis. They were joined Saturday morning by a Blackhawk
“medevac” helicopter from the 1042nd Oregon Army National Guard Unit, based in
Salem.
Around 11 a.m. Saturday, the two men’s bodies were found by a Jefferson County
team on the west side of the mountain, at the 7,190-foot level, Burright said.
“They were still roped together, and had fallen about 150 feet, after their
climbing safety equipment had apparently failed,” the sheriff said.
The National Guard crew airlifted the bodies off the peak, and they were taken
to a funeral home in Sweet Home, pending arrangements to be returned to
Washington state, the sheriff said.
“Both men were reportedly to be very experienced climbers, and previously had
scaled several other mountains,” Burright said. “This was their first attempt at
Mount Washington.”
Note:
I have contacted the Linn County and Jefferson County
Sheriff's Search and Rescue units. I have interviewed the Incident Commander and
the On Scene Commander. I have requested a copy of the final report. I believe
there is much that can be learned form this tragic accident and I will make the
public facts available in due course.
Read my Report to the American
Alpine Club.
The circumstances differ from those reported for the Seyler-Smith accident three years ago, on the same volcanic West face below the summit of Mount Washington. Webmeister Speik Read more:
Read more . . .
American Alpine Club
Oregon Section of the AAC
Accidents in North American Mountaineering
SMITH ROCK
Smith Rock - AAC: Leader fall turns climber upside down
Smith Rock - AAC: Warning!! ** Belayer drops climber off the end of the top rope
Smith Rock - AAC: Fall on rock - protection pulled out
Smith Rock - AAC: WARNING - Belayer drops climber off the end of the top rope
Smith Rock - AAC: Inadequate top rope belay
Smith Rock - AAC: Climber injured on the approach
Smith Rock - AAC: WARNING - belayer drops climber off the end of the top rope
Smith Rock - AAC: Belay error - novice sport climber injured
Smith Rock - AAC: Fall on rock, protection pulled out
Smith Rock - AAC: Fall on rock - poor position, inadequate protection
Smith Rock - AAC: Pulled rock off - fall on rock, failure to test holds, exceeding abilities
Smith Rock - AAC: Belay error - fatal fall on rock
MOUNT WASHINGTON
Mount Washington - AAC: Matt and Joanne,
Accident on traditional North Ridge Route ends with helicopter rescue
Mount Washington - News:
Matt and Joanne, News reports of their serious accident
Mount Washington - AAC: BC and JWS, Leader
fall, good belay, self rescue and extraction by helicopter
Mount Washington - AAC:
Seifert-Gentz, Report on fatal accident while setting rappel anchor
Mount Washington - Rock and Ice, Double fatality on Mount Washington
Mount Washington - News: Seifert-Gentz, Oregon tragedy claims two lives
Mount Washington - News: JM, Injured climber rescued from Mount Washington
Mount Washington - AAC: Seyler-Smith,
Leader fall, protection pulled out and anchor fails - Epic accident
Playing Icarus on Mount Washington, an Epic
story by Eric Seyler
