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CNN Live At Daybreak

In Washington State, Mount Rainier Has Claimed Three Lives

Aired May 30, 2002 - 05:20   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In Washington State, Mount Rainier has claimed three lives, apparent victims of rough weather about 8,000 feet up.

Kevin McCarty of CNN affiliate KIRO in Seattle has an update on the rescue and recovery.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEVIN MCCARTY, KIRO CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The four climbers were near the summit of Mount Rainier when a violent storm suddenly wrapped itself around the mountain.

MIKE CARNEY (ph): And we had in excess of 50 knot winds and the reported temperature, the forecasted temperature was 15 degrees.

MCCARTY: Rescue helicopter pilot Mike Carney says conditions were extremely dangerous near the summit, but by the time help arrived, it was already too late. The cold and the altitude, more than 13,000 feet, had already taken its toll.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What we found were two confirmed fatalities.

MCCARTY: Park rangers say the two man, two woman climbing team had ascended the difficult and dangerous Liberty Ridge route on Saturday, the 25th. It was their first climb on Mount Rainier. When the group ran into trouble isn't clear, but they may have already been suffering from hypothermia when they were forced to dig snow caves near Liberty Cap late Tuesday. In the dead of night, those snow caves collapsed. The four dug out, but they were now at Rainier's mercy.

Disoriented, one man fell to his death. A woman died out in the open. One climber, a man, made it halfway down the mountain and found other climbers with a cell phone. He called for help. Another woman from the group is still missing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But we have observed from the air in a crevasse, about 15 feet into a crevasse what appears to be a third fatality. We are speculating, but have not confirmed, that it is the other woman in this party.

MCCARTY (on camera): The sole survivor of this group is being debriefed by park rangers to find out what happened. Two bodies remain on Rainier. A recovery team will head up to bring them down the mountain at first light.

In Mount Rainier National Park, Kevin McCarty for CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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