2 Killed in Fall on Mt. Rainier; 3 Others Rescued From Crevasse
Two climbers fell to their deaths on Mt. Rainier, and a couple planning to be married at the 14,411-foot summit and a minister-guide survived a separate fall, rangers said.
The bodies of Benjamin Hernstedt, 25, of Tigard, Ore., and Jeffrey Dupuis, 21, of Big Flats, N.Y., were retrieved by helicopter Thursday night, said Jill Hawk, chief ranger of Mt. Rainier National Park.
The falls occurred eight days after three people died when they were caught by high winds and whiteout conditions while descending the Washington summit.
It was unclear when Hernstedt and Dupuis fell. Neither had climbed the mountain before, according to their climbing registration cards.
Melody Wyman, 48, and Charles Grubbs, 50, both of Manchester, N.H., along with Kurt Wedberg, 35, a mountain guide and licensed minister, fell about 60 feet into a crevasse Thursday.
All three were roped together when at least one lost footing.
Rangers and guides pulled the three to safety.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
