Washington State

Climber dies in 100-foot fall during rainstorm near Washington tourist spot, cops say

A 44-year-old climber died in a 100-foot fall on July 4, 2022, in Leavenworth, Washington, authorities said. He was climbing the Icicle Buttress.
A 44-year-old climber died in a 100-foot fall on July 4, 2022, in Leavenworth, Washington, authorities said. He was climbing the Icicle Buttress. Getty / iStock photo

A 44-year-old man plunged 100 feet to his death while rock climbing during a heavy rainstorm in Washington, authorities said.

The man was on the Icicle Buttress in Leavenworth with a climbing partner on Monday, July 4 when a storm moved in, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said.

He was descending the rocky climbing area with a female climbing partner, the sheriff’s office said.

The woman reached the bottom of the pitch, and the man was supposed to follow, authorities said.

As she continued to make her way down, she “heard a noise” and saw him plunge about 100 feet, deputies said.

The woman found a U.S. Forest Service officer in the area and reported her climbing partner’s fall. Rescuers found the man dead and with injuries from the fall, deputies said.

The climber’s name has not been released.

Leavenworth is a popular Bavarian-style city in western Washington. It’s about 135 miles east of Seattle.

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This story was originally published July 6, 2022 at 12:39 PM with the headline "Climber dies in 100-foot fall during rainstorm near Washington tourist spot, cops say."

Helena Wegner
McClatchy DC
Helena Wegner is a McClatchy National Real-Time Reporter covering the state of Washington and the western region. She’s a journalism graduate from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She’s based in Phoenix.
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