WASHINGTON — Three people have died and one person was able to get help following a rock climbing accident in the North Cascades.
The incident happened around 11:30 a.m. in the area of the North Early Winters Spire off State Route 20. This is a rock formation 16 miles west of Mazama that is popular with rock climbers.
According to the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office, a party of four from Renton fell while descending a steep gully.
Three of those people died, and the other person was able to get themselves to safety to call law enforcement.
It’s presumed that the accident resulted from an anchor failure while rappelling.
Rappelling is a rock climbing technique used to descend a vertical surface, like a wall or cliff, by sliding down a rope. It’s a controlled descent where the rope is anchored at the top of the mountain.
The Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team pulled the three bodies from the mountainous terrain.
The investigation is ongoing.
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