Tragic news out of Washington State where a climbing accident claimed the lives of three and left one seriously injured.
The accident happened on Sunday, May 11th, at around 11:30am near the North Early Winters Spire inside North Cascades National Park. The climbers fell while descending a steep gulley. The cause of the accident is presumed be an anchor failure while rappelling. The surviving climber was able to make it back to their car and called for help.
Our thoughts are with the victims family and friends. Read the full statement from Okanogan County Sheriff Office below.
Okanogan County Sheriff Office Statement:
Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office personnel and Okanogan County Search and Rescue volunteers responded to a climbing accident in the area of North Early Winters Spire off of State Route 20, approximately 16 miles west of Mazama, WA, at approximately 1130 on May 11, 2025.
A party of four climbers from Renton, Washington, were involved in a fall while descending a steep gully. Three individuals were confirmed deceased at the accident site. The fourth member of the party self-extricated and contacted law enforcement.
Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team assisted in extricating the deceased members of the party from the technical, mountainous terrain. The presumed cause of the accident is an anchor failure while rappelling, with more investigation still ongoing.
The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the SAR volunteers and Snohomish County for assisting in this tragic incident. Our thoughts are with the family members and friends of those involved.
