3 climbers rescued after Mount Rainier avalanche, 1 climber still missing

At least 1 climber missing after Rainier avalanche

MOUNT RAINIER, Wash. — A search was under way on Mount Ranier Saturday for at least 1 climber buried in an avalanche, a national park spokeswoman said.

At about 4:45 a.m. Saturday, several climbing teams were overtaken by a slab avalanche, said Mount Ranier National Park spokeswoman Patty Wold. The avalanche occurred at 12,500-foot level on the Ingraham Direct Route.

Wold said at least four people were buried in the avalanche. Three were rescued, but one climber was still missing Saturday afternoon. She said there was a skier reported in the area who may also be missing.

A helicopter from the U.S. Army Reserve out of Fort Lewis removed two injured climbers and 6 rescuers from the scene Saturday afternoon. Wold said those two climbers were flown to an area hospital and were in stable condition with lacerations and other injuries.

A third climber walked to Camp Muir.

Wold says a helicopter will conduct an aerial search. A ground search is not possible because of high avalanche danger.

In a slab avalanche, a large plate of snow breaks away. Wold said the avalanche began at about 12,500-feet and ran about 800-feet. It was 3,000 to 4,000 feet wide.