Crevasse Falls – Skiers and Snowboarders

Washinton, Cascades, Mt. Rainier
Author: The Editors. Climb Year: 2017. Publication Year: 2018.

Three accidents were reported in 2017 in which riders fell into crevasses on various Rainier glaciers, and one of them was killed.

On May 27, a 24-year-old woman in a party of three that had summited earlier that day fell deep into a crevasse at 12,300 feet on the Winthrop Glacier. Rangers flew to Liberty Saddle, downclimbed to the crevasse, and raised the injured but responsive woman about 100 feet to escape the crevasse. The skier was short-hauled off the mountain by helicopter the next morning.

On July 16, a 42-year-old skier had summited Rainier by the Emmons Glacier route with two companions. During the descent, he fell into a crevasse at 12,900 feet. Rangers helicoptered to the summit and downclimbed to the scene, where they lowered about 150 feet into the crevasse and discovered the skier had passed away.

On September 22, a snowboarder fell 30 feet into a crevasse on the Inter Glacier, but despite some injuries, he and his partner were able to self-rescue and descend to the trailhead.