Second climber rescued safely from Mount Rainier

[icymist]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/173977_richards19.html

Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Second climber rescued safely from Mount Rainier
Exhausted but OK, Richards mourns his friend's death

By MIKE LEWIS
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

LONGMIRE RANGER STATION -- Climbing Ranger David Gottlieb was about 40 yards away when he saw the pair perched on an ice ledge cut into a 45-degree slope.

He'd heard a climber's shrill emergency whistle slice through the wind for several minutes before he saw Scott Richards crouched next to a tent.

When Gottlieb and the other half of the rescue team, Charlie Borgh, arrived at the narrow perch on the east flank at 12,300 feet on Liberty Ridge, what they saw left them stunned: Cut by hand with an ice axe was an ice shelf no wider than two end-to-end phone books. On it, in howling wind and snow, stranded climber Richards had managed to set up a tent, secure it and pack his mortally injured friend Peter Cooley inside. "He did an incredible job," Gottlieb said. "He did absolutely everything he could and never lost his cool."

A rescue helicopter returned yesterday to Mount Rainier and brought back Richards, 42, Gottleib, 36, and Borgh, 26, from the 8,800-foot emergency base camp on Carbon Glacier.

(more, exciting story)

[roguevalley]

1. This is sad. These mountains, they'll kill you. We had about nine die

in one season on Denali. Awesomely terrible.

[LittleApple81]

2. Unless it is an earthquake, or the icepack melts, or some other

natural disaster like that I had never heard of mountains that willingly kill people. Usually it is people who go looking for excitement and taking risks.

[Mr.Green93]

3. who pays for the helicopter?

[snooper2]

4. The same people..

Who would pay for the helicopter if you where in some kind of emergency.

[Mr.Green93]

6. that would be me

a ride in the medivac here in Ky. costs four thousand dollars

[icymist]

7. Right! I'll be sure not to ever get hurt in Kentucky!

eom

[Huxley]

5. It's usually a helicopter from nearby Fort Lewis.

The money that you pay for your climbing permit funds climbing related support, such as blue bag barrel removal, climbing rangers, and search & rescue operations.

[yorgatron]

8. i KNOW that guy!

climbing ranger david gottleib,that is.

[newyawker99]

9. Hi Huxley!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: