WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — Around 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 29, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office received calls about a man who had gone missing while climbing solo on Mount Baker.
The 39-year-old man from Squamish, British Columbia, Canada, went climbing alone and failed to check in with his family.
Deputies put out a call for help with search and rescue operations to the Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP AMO), Naval Air Station Whidbey Search and Rescue, and the Bellingham Mountain Rescue (BMR).
Using the location data from his Garmin™ inReach, teams were able to direct their search focus.
CBP and the Navy used helicopters to search from the air, but thick cloud cover prevented them from getting close to the mountainside, and rescue efforts were called off.
Search and rescue volunteers from the BMR began to climb the mountain but had to turn back due to dangerous conditions.
On Monday, the ground and air teams returned to continue the search and were able to locate the climber.
BMR finally reached the man, who had passed away, and declared the man deceased at 4:24 p.m.
“We mourn with the family and friends of this intrepid climber,” said Sheriff Donnell “Tank” Tanksley. “It is a heartbreaking outcome, but we are honored to be able to bring him home.”
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