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(NEW YORK) — Multiple climbers were airlifted off California’s Mount Shasta, some in critical condition, on Monday, with one dying as a result of their injuries, authorities said.
At least four climbers were rescued, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook. Climbers had reported poor conditions after Sunday snowfall turned into ice overnight.
Mount Shasta is a potentially active volcano with an elevation of 14,179 feet — the second-highest peak in the Cascade Range.
The first incident was reported at 8:39 a.m. of a climber suffering severe injuries and in critical condition and one recovering from injuries that included a broken ankle, the sheriff’s office said, which said at the time that another climber had died as a result of their injuries.
Another climber was reported in critical condition at 12:31 p.m., and a third incident was later reported at 4 p.m., at which time the sheriff’s office said a helicopter crew was trying to locate a female climber who was said to be injured on the mountain.
The first two incidents were in the area of Avalanche Gulch, a snowy glacier climb on the mountain, the sheriff’s office said.
As of 6 p.m., the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office was coordinating rescue efforts for a fifth climber, it said. It was unclear exactly how many climbers were injured or what the nature of their climb was.
The identity of the deceased climber is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office was coordinating rescue operations with the Mount Shasta City Fire Department, the Siskiyou County Search and Rescue (SAR), USFS Climbing Rangers, the CHP – Air Operations H-14 crew and Mount Shasta Ambulance, as well as Reach 5 Air Ambulance.
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