NEED TO KNOW
- The bodies of two climbers were located on Tuesday, Jan. 20 after park rangers “initiated an inquiry” into overdue climbing permits, the National Park Service said
- Emergency contacts for the climbers reported that they had not been in contact since Saturday, Jan. 17.
- Ground teams found the two deceased individuals at approximately 9.600 feet in elevation in the Wilson Glacier area of Mount Rainier National Park
The bodies of two missing climbers were recovered from the Wilson Glacier area of Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, at approximately 9,600 feet in elevation, on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
According to a press release from the National Park Service, park rangers “initiated an inquiry” on Sunday, Jan. 18, after identifying overdue climbing permits.
Emergency contacts for the climbers reported that they had not been in contact since Saturday, Jan. 17.
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Days before they were reported missing, Mount Rainier National Park posted a winter safety reminder on social media about rapidly changing conditions, including “whiteouts, avalanches, or injuries,” KING 5 News reports.
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Backcountry travelers were urged to carry safety gear, emergency supplies and navigation gear, per the outlet.
The search for the climbers was initially delayed after weather conditions on Monday, Jan. 19, prevented aviation resources from accessing the area.
However, ground teams reached the location on Tuesday, Jan. 20, and confirmed two deceased individuals.
“Searchers using spotting equipment subsequently observed two non-ambulatory individuals near Wilson Glacier,” the press release said.
According to The Seattle Times and Outside, the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office identified one climber as Jiri Richter, 51.
Pierce County Medical Examiner records list Richter’s cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries and manner of death as an accident.
KING 5 News identified the second climber as Ben Watson, 35, citing an email from his family and multiple social media posts. The medical examiner’s office lists him as Benjamin Ingersol Watson.
Like Richter, medical examiner records indicate that Watson’s death was an accident that occurred at Wilson Glacier. His cause of death was listed as “blunt force injuries of head.”
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PEOPLE has reached out to the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office for comment.
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