CBS News – An experienced climber was found dead on Saturday inside the crater of Mount St. Helens, a volcano in Washington state that draws hikers, skiers and snowboarders year-round.
[Apparently, he may not have had enough experience with gravity. – HH]
Officials say he was attempting to snowboard and died after falling roughly 1,200 feet from the summit, where an icy ridge had cracked off near the rim beneath his feet.
The climber was identified as Roscoe “Rocky” Shorey, a 42-year-old from Washougal, Washington, according to the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office.
In a statement, the office called Shorey “an experienced mountain climber” who had successfully reached the summit of Mount St. Helens 28 times before.
“Distraction accounts for the majority of accidents in rock climbing. Seasoned climbers, absent-mindedly forget the basics, like knot tying, clipping in, locking carabiners, and partner double checks.” – 5.life [Climbing without a partner, Rocky Shorey ventured too close the unstable edge of the Mount St. Helens crater.]
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When he arrived at the summit of Mount St. Helens, authorities believe that Shorey encountered an enormous cornice that proceeded to break away from the rest of the volcano and crash inward into the crater.
A cornice is essentially an overhanging block of snow that is tightly-packed and perched atop a mountain crest or ridge. They can become less sturdy and harder to detect in warmer weather.
The sheriff said that Shorey’s body was discovered Saturday by a group of climbers who reached the mountain’s summit at around 7 a.m. and noticed various personal items near the rim of the crater, including a backpack and digital recording devices. Close by, a snow cornice had broken off and tipped into the crater.
A search and rescue team was able to successfully recover the body after being airlifted into the crater itself and then walking on foot to the remains.
“The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind climbers of the dangers warmer weather brings to the local mountain attractions,” their statement said.
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The sheriff’s office will work with search and rescue crews to compile a more thorough report on the circumstances surrounding Shorey’s death, with input from the Northwest Avalanche Center. A preliminary report from the avalanche center included findings similar to those released by the sheriff …