1 Killed, 5 Injured in Mt. Rainier Avalanche

As many as 12 climbers were caught in an avalanche Thursday on the upper reaches of Mt. Rainier. One person was killed, five were injured and the rest escaped unharmed.

A man who spent several hours dangling by a rope off an icy cliff called Disappointment Cleaver died Thursday night. He suffered trauma, Mt. Rainier National Park spokeswoman Maria Gillett said.

A woman was suffering from severe hypothermia and another from mild hypothermia. One man broke a leg and two people each broke a hand.

The slide hit two groups--each roped together and containing five or six people, said Dave Uberuaga, another park spokesman.

Members of one climbing party used ice axes to stop their slide and were not hurt. The other party was swept off Disappointment Cleaver at an elevation of 11,400 feet on the southeast side of the snowy peak.

They were apparently on their way down from the 14,410-foot summit.

Warm spring weather likely caused the avalanche, authorities said. Temperatures have recently been as high as the lower 80s.

A climber from a party that was not in danger used his cellular phone to report the avalanche, said park spokeswoman Donna Rahier.

Medical teams were treating the injured at the scene, with helicopters ready to take them out. Mt. Rainier is about 50 miles southeast of Seattle.