Mount Rainier National Park Recovers Body of Lost Skier

The unidentified body was found at the base of the waterfall after rangers reported the skier fell about 200 feet.

According to the National Park Service report of the incident, park rangers initiated a search on May 19th in response to a report of an overdue skier who had set out to go backcountry skiing a day before. The skier was last heard from May 18, before leaving to ski tour above Paradise.

The park’s contract helicopter conducted a search flight during a window of favorable weather and "located an unresponsive person who appeared to have fallen approximately 200 feet to the base of a waterfall."

The area was surrounded by a large, unstable snow moat that was subject to rock and ice fall, so recovery teams were not able to act immediately. 

Rangers were, however, able to later recover the body using traditional crevasse rescue methods during another period of favorable weather. 

The park’s contract helicopter transported the body to Kautz Creek Helibase for evaluation by the Pierce County Medical Examiner. The deceased has yet to be identified.

Our thoughts are with the victim's family and friends, and the greater Mt. Rainier community, at this time.