On Saturday, two residents of Jackson, WY died while attempting to ascend the East Face of Teewinot Mountain in Grand Teton National Park. During the climb, the three climbers lost the main route up to the peak and began ascending a technically advanced route.
At that point, Tyler Strandberg, 27, originally from Raleigh, NC and Catherine Nix, 28, of Port Chester, NY fell approximately 200 ft. from an elevation of 11,500 ft. A third member of the party and Jackson resident, Rebecca Anderson attempted to call down to her partners with no success.
“At approximately 11:15 a.m. Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received a cell phone call for assistance via 911 from Rebecca Anderson, 26, also of Jackson, Wyoming. Anderson reported that the two other members of her climbing party, Strandberg and Nix, had fallen and were now out of sight. She made repeated attempts to yell down to her companions, but received no reply. Anderson was stuck on a small ledge and could not move to see her companions.”– National Park Service Press Release
Once park rangers reached the tragic scene, they pronounced the two dead in conjunction with park medical director, Dr. Will Smith.
After assessing the situation, park rangers proceeded to extract Anderson from her ledge via a short-haul method. Anderson was returned to the Lupine Meadows Rescue Cache at 4:19pm unharmed. After Anderson was returned, the park rangers retrieved the two bodies from the mountain via helicopter.
Short-Haul Rescue: Short-haul is a rescue technique where an individual is suspended below the helicopter on a 100 to 200 foot rope. This method allows a rescuer more direct access to an injured party, and it is often used in the Teton Range where conditions make it difficult to land a helicopter in the steep and rocky terrain.– National Park Service Press Release
Catherine and Tyler were integral members of the Jackson, WY community and their presence will be sorely missed.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Catherine and Tyler’s friends and family.
Rest in Peace.
Read the Entire NPS Press Release here: Two Climbers Suffer Fatal Fall on Teewinot Mountain
