Three Korean-American climbers were killed in an avalanche while hiking in the Cascade Mountains in Washington State, USA. All of the dead were members of the Korean Mountaineering Association of New York.
According to the Consulate General in Seattle and the New York Times (NYT) on the 22nd (local time), six members of the Korean Mountaineering Club in New York climbed the Cascade Mountains on the 19th. They tried to climb the 2653m high Colchuck peak, but met heavy snow and strong winds when they climbed about 2000m. Two people, Mr. Park (66) and Mr. Lee (60), fell 15m down and died on the spot as huge ice hit them due to an avalanche. Mr. Jo (53) died of frostbite while waiting for the rescue team while unable to move due to fractures.
The other three were reported to have confirmed the death of Mr. The survivors reportedly walked to the camp but did not immediately contact authorities because they did not bring communication devices or emergency beacons with them.
Initially, there were 7 members of the mountaineering club, but one person said that he was able to avoid the change by staying at the base camp near Colchuck Lake instead of climbing with 6 people.
Members of the Korean Mountaineering Club in New York had planned to climb to a different location with the members of the Korean Mountaineering Club of Seattle, but it was reported that the plan was changed due to bad weather. A member of the Seattle Korean Mountaineering Association, who climbed the mountain with them and came down earlier the day before, said, “The wind blew pretty hard, almost like a blizzard. It is said to be the most severe mountain accident in Korean-American history.”
Local rescue authorities are said to be having difficulty recovering the body due to poor weather conditions due to heavy snowfall. Authorities said they would send a helicopter on the 23rd when the weather stabilizes.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.