Authorities assess search conditions for climber stranded near summit of Calif.’s Mount Shasta

Weather could again delay search for Calif climber

MOUNT SHASTA, Calif. — Weather could again delay the search for a climber stranded near the summit of California’s Mount Shasta even though authorities had hoped to take advantage of a break in the storm Wednesday.

A helicopter crew carrying a U.S. Forest Service ranger took a reconnaissance flight over the 14,126-foot mountain near the California-Oregon border to determine whether it was possible to conduct a search and rescue mission for Thomas Bennett, 26, a chemical engineer from Oakland.

If they determine conditions unsafe, the operation could be delayed until Thursday, according Susan Gravenkamp, a spokeswoman for the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office.

Bennett and his friend, Mark Thomas, also 26, began climbing the mountain last Thursday. The climbers were trapped by strong winds when they tried to descend from the summit Saturday.

State and federal agencies sent helicopters and rescue teams to assist Wednesday when there appeared to be a break in the storm. The California National Guard deployed a team on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter from Sacramento and the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection also sent a helicopter.

Thomas’ father, Jay Thomas of Salt Lake City, told The Sacramento Bee in Wednesday’s edition that the two experienced climbers decided to ascend the summit on a more difficult and technical northern route that neither had tried before.

Mark Thomas, an engineer from Berkeley, told his father the weather caught the two hikers by surprise when they reached the summit because they had checked the forecast before they left. Rather than start down, they decided to take shelter behind rock outcroppings near the summit.

The next morning, Bennett toppled over as he put on his crampons. He was unresponsive within an hour, and Mark Thomas could not revive him, according to Thomas’s father.

Thomas called 911 on Sunday to report Bennett’s condition. After his initial call, Thomas told officials he decided it would be best to try to descend the mountain on his own.

He left Bennett in a snow cave with water, candy bars and granola, officials said.

Thomas was rescued Monday after he walked down the mountain looking for help. He had frostbite on one finger but declined medical attention.

Jay Thomas said winds were so fierce that his son had to crawl at times until he reached the tree line.

Mark Thomas was able to show authorities where Bennett was on a map. He told them that Bennett was unresponsive and he thought his friend was dead.

Rangers had been prevented from conducting a search by winds as strong as 55 miles per hour, freezing temperatures and poor visibility.

Gravenkamp, of the county sheriff’s department, said the men did not fill out a wilderness permit because Thomas held a seasonal pass.