Legal news for Washington personal injury attorneys. The body of the climber who plummeted 1,500 feet was recovered.
Washington personal injury attorneys alerts- Rescue attempts to recover fallen Washington climber out of Mount St. Helens crater are over.
Seattle, WA—The lifeless body of a climber who fell 1,500 feet into the crater of Mount St. Helens was finally recovered on Tuesday, February 16, 2010, after being inside the crater since Monday. Clouds and winds kept pushing the rescue effort off, which may have ultimately lead to his death, as reported by USA Today.
The climber, Joseph Bohlig, 52, climbed to the summit with his friend Scott Salkovics on Monday, when he took his backpack off and removed a layer of clothing to take some pictures. As Bohlig was backing up to take a picture, after handing off the camera to another hiker, the snow underneath him gave way. Bohlig fell 1,500 into the dormant crater and into some snow. Bohlig survived the fall, and began blowing his rescue whistle to his friend to let him know he was alive. Salkovics then threw Bohlig’s backpack down to him, but he was unable to reach it.
A Navy helicopter was called in to search for the climber, and finally managed to spot him on their second pass. On Monday, two attempts to recover Bohlig by helicopter were unsuccessful and were turned back due to the winds and limited daylight. On Tuesday, Bohlig’s body was finally recovered, which was partially covered in snow. Skamania County officials reported that an autopsy would be conducted to determine if Bohlig died of injuries, hypothermia or a combination of the factors. Since Bohlig took off a layer of clothing to cool down while taking pictures, it’s not likely that he was properly protected against the frigid temperatures.
Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news for personal injury lawyers in Washington.
