Rescue on Rainier

[To_The_Top]

I just heard on the news that there is a rescue and recovery on the Dissapointment Cleaver route (9am news). Two climbers are being rescued, one was hit by a rock, and killed. Sad news, condolences.

[Thinker]

KOMO news story

[mr.radon]

Bummer!

That route is way under-rated this time of the year.

Talk about objective hazards. They mentioned others being hurt. When the rock took the guy out musta taken the others with for a few feet.

Wonder if they got out of the area right away or stayed with the guy till help came. Wonder what I would do with rocks coming down like that. Kinda hard to move the body on that route with just three people.

[mr.radon]

The guy that died. Sounded like a cool customer.

 

See:HOMER

[mr.radon]

The NTSB posting of HOMER's crash. Pilot error!

 

Homer's Alaska crash

 

Bad luck twice.......

[mr.radon]

I heard he was climbing with Jim Wickwire. So how many people have died climbing with old Wick?

Sounds like a death nail to rope up with him, even to cross a Seattle City street.

[Cpt.Caveman]

You heard. How about some facts

[mr.radon]

Since I wasn't there on the mountain that day I have no hard facts. I didn't do the recovery. However, I do have friends in that business, so I reported what I heard!

Now there is an article in the Seattle Times this morning about Homer and Wickwire which confirms what I heard. However, if you believe the media is a state run institution and they are covering up his disappearance by faking his death on Rainier to send him on a secret spy mission I can't refute you since I didn't physically see anything. So for now I'll say, "heard and read" instead of just ”heard”.

If this dosn't make you happy ask Jim or go to Homer's service.

Homer's Death, Wickwire is leader

 

From the above article:

quote:

---

Team leader Jim Wickwire, 62, of Seattle, reported the death by cellphone at 6:15 a.m.

---

More facts from the article:

Hommer is survived by three children.

 

Contributions to the High Exposure Foundation can be made to:

High Exposure Foundation

Attn: Sarah Notton

3055 Clark Road

Two Harbors, MN 55616

[slothrop]

As if the guy (and his family) hadn't gone through enough... sad. His partners must be devastated.

 

I know I wasn't there, but I'm trying to imagine the accident and learn from it: if Jim Wickwire reported Mr. Hommer's death at just past 6am and they were below the cleaver, it seems like they didn't get much of an early start from Camp Muir. Perhaps the sun was just hitting the upper mountain when the rock came down.

[iain]

Sometimes there's just not much to learn except death happens to the best of us when climbing. Just ask canadian Karl Nagy. Hard to find someone more experienced in the mountains than he. A partner and I nearly died in a rock avalanche on Sandy Headwall, Mt Hood a few years back, escaping with only a chipped pelvis, damaged hand and headache (w/ helmet). "Basketball-sized" stuff was all around us making loud humming sounds, moving at a million miles an hour. Shit happens.

[Bug]

With all due respect to anyone who makes any thought out choice, I would not be out amoungst those rocks this time of year. It is always a bummer when someone dies. Taking that kind of risk is not acceptable to me.

My heart goes out to his friends and family.

[CraigA]

What a pisser. I saw a special on Hommer on TV a while back, very impressive. Another loss of a good man. My condolences to his family.

 

Not to make light of the tragedy, but teaming up with Wickwire was just poor decision making. I wouldn't step foot on a mountain if I knew he was there let alone join his team.

 

Craig

[To_The_Top]

To those that thought they got a late start: Think about it, let the masses go on the Cleaver and knock a bunch of stuff down at 2am, not seeing what was coming down. This might be you if you follow a RMI team up. Wait later for the crud to subside, and you might get hit anyway. The rockfall could have happened as a team above could of knocked loose some rocks. Going later might work, as the sunrise wouldnt hit until this happened. It could have occured on the way down. It doesnt really matter, my only point is wear a helmet on this route, but it might not really matter if the rock was of this size. Again sorry for any on this climb and anyone who knew him.