Rangers await weather to recover colleague's body - WDRB 41 Louisville - News, Weather, Sports Community

Rangers await weather to recover colleague's body

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SEATTLE (AP) -- Whiteout conditions on Mount Rainier National Park are preventing rangers from recovering the body of a colleague who died while rescuing four injured climbers near the mountain's peak.

A park spokeswoman says crews were hoping for a break in the weather today but conditions got worse as the day progressed. Crews say the forecast looks better for recovery tomorrow.

A team of four rangers who had begun climbing to the spot where Nick Hall slid 2,600 feet to his death turned back to Camp Schurman. The campsite is at the 9,500-foot level.

The rangers were going to assist with a planned recovery from a helicopter, which remains on standby until the weather allows flying conditions.

Hall died Thursday after helping four climbers from Texas who fell near the 14,411-foot mountain's peak. Hall had helped put three climbers into a helicopter when he fell. The final climber descended the mountain with rangers Friday.

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  • Thanks to a grant from Norton Healthcare, this story and others are available in real-time closed captioning on WDRB.
    Thanks to a grant from Norton Healthcare, this story and others are available in real-time closed captioning on WDRB.