A group of four climbers fell about 400 feet from a cliff in Washington state’s North Cascades, killing three.
The incident occurred on Saturday, May 10, as the climbers were descending the mountain.
The sole survivor, 38-year-old Anton Selegh, made it to his car and drove to a payphone to call for help.
He reported that the group had been climbing together when the accident happened.
Selegh suffered head injuries and internal bleeding but managed to walk for hours to reach a public phone.
The Victims
The three climbers who died were identified as:
- Vishnu Iyer, 48
- Tim Nguyen, 63
- Oleksandr Martynenko, 36
Selegh is currently hospitalized in Seattle, and authorities have been unable to question him.
The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.
Possible Cause
Dave Rodrigues, the Okanogan County medical examiner, believes the group may have experienced equipment failure.
A metal piton, or climbing anchor, appeared to have been dislodged from the rock face.
The piton was attached to the climbers’ rope, suggesting it may have caused the fall.
Christina Woodworth, the search and rescue team leader, said the group was likely descending the mountain when the incident occurred.
They may have turned back due to an approaching storm.
The investigation is ongoing, and officials are waiting to speak with Selegh to gather more information.
The recovery team used GPS data from the climbers’ devices to locate the scene.
A helicopter was called to transport the bodies, but the challenging terrain made it a difficult process.