Missing B.C. climber died from fall on Mount Baker, medical examiner says
The body of a British Columbia mountain climber has been located and recovered after the 39-year-old man was reported missing during a solo climb on Washington state's Mount Baker earlier this week.
Whatcom County's interim medical examiner Aldo Fusaro confirmed Friday that Sebastian Urban of Squamish died of multiple blunt force injuries caused by an accidental fall on the mountain.
The local sheriff's office launched a search-and-rescue mission to find the climber shortly after sunrise on Sept. 29, focusing their efforts on Mount Baker's Coleman-Deming route, where Urban had embarked on a solitary climb two days prior.
When Urban failed to check in with family on the evening of Sept. 28, sheriff's deputies prepared a search plan with assistance from search volunteers and aircraft from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Navy's Whidbey Island station.
Heavy cloud cover had prevented helicopters from approaching the region until conditions cleared up Monday morning, the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office said in a statement earlier this week.
Body found in crevasse
Volunteers from Bellingham Mountain Rescue were airlifted onto the mountain and the climber's body was found in a crevasse, with his Garmin inReach satellite communication device nearby.
"Searchers retrieved the man, who had succumbed to his injuries, and was declared deceased at 4:24 p.m. Sept. 30," the sheriff's office said.
The local medical examiner took custody of the body to determine his identity and cause of death.
"We mourn with the family and friends of this intrepid climber," Sheriff Donnell Tanksley said in the statement. "It is a heartbreaking outcome, but we are honoured to be able to bring him home."
The local law enforcement office said the tragic outcome stands as a reminder of the importance of carrying communications devices, like the Garmin that was found next to Urban's body, while in the backcountry.
"Its real-time location data and enduring battery life – over 70 per cent remaining upon recovery – proved invaluable in the search effort, allowing responders to locate him more quickly than would have been possible otherwise," the sheriff's statement said.
The U.S. Forest Service describes the Coleman-Deming route as one of Mount Baker's most popular routes, traversing the Coleman glacier to the mountain summit, known as Grant Peak, a 400-metre-thick mound of ice that caps the mountain's volcanic crater.
The forest service says climbing conditions on the route are most ideal between May and August, warning that "as the season progresses, the route becomes increasingly more technical as open crevasses make route finding difficult."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump wants to narrow his deficit with women but he's not changing how he talks about them
Donald Trump's campaign has used sexist and crude language, expressing alarm at the idea of women voting differently than their partners.
Where should Canada look to improve its housing situation? The answer may shock you
Housing experts argue widespread adoption of government-supported affordable housing, the growth of alternative models like co-operatives and co-housing, and the increased use of advanced building techniques could all play a role in improving Canada's housing system.
Guelph, Ont. woman says she was pushed to homelessness and 'thrown on the street'
For people living on the fringe of society, the line between the safety and security of a home and homelessness is very thin.
No strike notice so far as talks continue between Canada Post and workers' union
Canada Post says talks are continuing with the union that represents postal workers and neither side has given notice of a work stoppage.
Federal mediators on site for negotiations between B.C. port employer and union
Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon says federal mediators are standing by and ready to help hammer out a deal in order to avoid a labour disruption at ports across British Columbia.
U.K. prosecutors are mulling whether to charge Russell Brand over sex assault allegations
British prosecutors say they have been given a file of evidence from police about alleged sexual offenses by comedian Russell Brand and are considering whether to charge him.
Winnipeg transit union raises concerns over violence after bus driver has gun pointed at him
The executive vice-president of Winnipeg’s transit union is raising concerns over an increase in violent incidents on buses after an operator allegedly had a gun pointed at him early Friday morning in front of police headquarters.
Trump says he 'shouldn’t have left' the White House as he closes campaign with increasingly dark message
Donald Trump, who said in Pennsylvania on Sunday that he regrets leaving the White House in 2021, is ending the 2024 campaign the way he began it – dishing out a stew of violent, disparaging rhetoric and repeated warnings that he will not accept defeat if it comes.
Here's what to consider before adding a rental unit to your home
With the rising cost of living, you may have thought about ways to make extra money and adding a rental unit to your home may have been one of them.