FALL INTO CREVASSE, CLIMBING UNROPED, INEXPERIENCE

Washington, Mt. Rainier

On September 1, Dale Click (21) was killed when he fell 20 feet into a crevasse while descending from a glacier at the 8,800-foot level on the northeast side of Mount Rainier.

Click carried his team’s climbing equipment with him when he tumbled into the crevasse. His partner, Tom McKee, was unable to retrieve him.

McKee summoned help from other climbers and the Park Service, but by the time the rescue party arrived five hours later, Click had died.

The search party marked the location for later retrieval of the body when bad weather and threatening avalanche conditions set in. (Source: Seattle Times, September 3, 1979).

Analysis

The climbers were not roped and had no previous experience on snow or ice. (Source: John Krambrink, Mt. Rainier National Park)