Three Renton residents died in a climbing accident Sunday morning in the area of North Early Winters Spire off of State Route 20, about 16 miles west of Mazama, Washington.
According to the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office, at about 11:30 a.m. May 11, a party of four climbers from Renton were involved in a fall while climbing, descending a steep gully. According to the sheriff’s office, the fourth member of the party pulled himself out of the fall and contacted law enforcement.
OCSO personnel and Okanogan County Search and Rescue volunteers responded. The three other climbers were subsequently confirmed dead at the accident site. The ages of the deceased are 36, 47 and 63, according to the sheriff’s office.
According to the sheriff’s office, the Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team assisted in extricating the deceased members of the party from the mountainous terrain. The presumed cause of the accident is an anchor failure while rappelling, but the investigation is ongoing, according to the sheriff’s office.
“The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the SAR volunteers and Snohomish County for assisting in this tragic incident,” the department said. “Our thoughts are with the family members and friends of those involved.”
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