Accident on Rainer

[selkirk]

Posted from Seattle Times

Three climbers and their professional guide were plucked from the flank of Mount Rainier yesterday in a high-altitude helicopter rescue after falling during a climb. The accident — a 120-foot slide down a steep slope to a crevasse on Ingraham Glacier high on the mountain — sent all four climbers to the hospital.

 

No one was killed.

 

The most seriously injured of the four, Patrick Clemens of Bethlehem, Pa., was airlifted to Madigan Army Medical Center at Fort Lewis near Tacoma with a broken leg and head injuries, said National Park Service spokeswoman Lee Taylor. A hospital spokeswoman declined to release his condition late yesterday. Another climber, 42-year-old Matthew Fisher of Vernon, N.J., suffered a sore back and a possible spinal injury and was taken to Harboview Medical Center in Seattle. He was listed in serious but stable condition last evening.

 

A third climber, Peter Bridgewater, 54, of Singapore, suffered no major injuries. He was in satisfactory condition at Tacoma General Hospital.

 

The guide, 31-year-old John Lucia, lost consciousness for a time after the fall but then was able to help with the rescue before he was flown to Tacoma General Hospital, where he was in satisfactory condition.

 

The climbers were on a trip run by Rainier Mountaineering Inc. (RMI), the mountain's largest guide company, following the popular Disappointment Cleaver route to the 14,411-foot summit.

 

Bridgewater, who was roped to the three other climbers, fell on a steep slope at 12,600 feet, pulling the rest with him, Taylor said, based on a report from a Park Service climbing ranger at the scene of the rescue.

 

Bridgewater had fallen a moment earlier, but Lucia, who was first in line, was able to stop the fall. But when Bridgewater fell again, all four men slid toward the crevasse, Taylor said.

 

Lucia and Bridgewater were going so fast that they flew over the giant crack in the glacier. But Fisher and Clemens slid into the crevasse and fell about 20 feet.

 

The rescue operation involved two Black Hawk helicopters from the Oregon National Guard, a U.S. Army Reserve Chinook helicopter, park-service climbing rangers and RMI guides.

 

Lou Whittaker, a veteran mountaineer and co-founder and president of RMI, said the four were part of a larger guided group following a standard route.

 

Another RMI team was traversing the mountain yesterday to check out the route, and the company planned to resume regular guided climbs today.

 

I'm amazed this hasn't been brought up yet. On the upside it looks like everyone will be ok.

[dberdinka]

THERE IS AN ENTIRE FORUM DEDICATED TO TAHOMA! You should check it out!

[sobo]

I'm amazed this hasn't been brought up yet.

 

selkirk,

This thread was started yesterday in the Mt Rainier forum. Gator has weighed in over there as well.

[selkirk]

Thanks. I guess i'm just used to seing accident discussions here.

[sobo]

Typically, I'd say you're right. I guess barjor just posted it under the Park's forum because that's where it happened. Anyway, everybody got out OK, and I hope the more seriously injured fellows heal up soon.

[tomtom]

And it's spelled Rainier.