Three climbers died in a fall while descending a steep gulley in an area near North Early Winters Spire in Washington state’s North Cascades National Park, the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office said.
The incident took place on Sunday, May 11, at around 11:30 a.m. and involved a party of four climbers.
“Three individuals were confirmed deceased at the accident site. The fourth member of the party self-extricated and contacted law enforcement,” the sheriff’s office said in a post on Facebook.
A helicopter rescue team helped to extract the three dead climbers, who were aged 36, 47, and 63.
“The presumed cause of the accident is an anchor failure while rappelling, with more investigation still ongoing,” the sheriff’s office said. “Our thoughts are with the family members and friends of those involved.”
The fourth person sustained internal bleeding and a traumatic brain injury in the fall but freed himself, walked to his car and drove to a pay phone to call for help, Okanogan County Undersheriff David Yarnell told The Seattle Times.
The man was then taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
“He didn’t realize he had as significant of internal injuries as he did,” Yarnell said.
This is a developing article and will be updated with more information soon.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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