Monday, March 18, 2024

Glissading claims the life of 19-year old at Asgaard Pass

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A glissading accident on Asgaard Pass has apparently claimed the life of a 19-year old Mercer Island man. Glissading is where the participant slides down a steep slope of snow with the support of an ice axe. It can be very dangerous. This is latest glissading accident at Asgaard Pass. Last year, a 24-year old Chinese man was killed while glissading with coworkers. In 2011, a 21-year old Eatonville woman was killed there. 

This latest accident was reported just after 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 4. It occurred below the summit of Asgaard Pass, between Colchuck Peak and Dragontail Mountain, according to a news release from the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office. 

A satellite text message was relayed to the Washington State Department of Emergency Management. The message stated there had been an accident in which a man had fallen into a hole and disappeared under the snowpack. There were GPS coordinates, but no other information in the message. 

The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office called out the mountain rescue team. A Lifeflight medical helicopter was requested along with a hoist equipped helicopter. The Snohomish County Office “SnoHawk 10” helicopter assisted with the search and rescue effort. 

Attempts to locate the missing man were unsuccessful, as the water runs deep under the snowpack. The search was called off at about 8:30 p.m. The search was to continue Monday morning. The name of the man was being withheld pending notification of next of kin. 

Last year, searchers could not find the body of He Qi initially on June 5, 2016. His body was finally located a month later. 

The CCSO reports the 19-year old and one other person were attempting to glissade down the snowfield from the summit of Asgaard Pass to the glacier area below. 

“Glissading is the act of intentionally descending down a steep slope in a controlled slide on a person’s feet or buttocks. It routinely involves the use of an ice-axe or similar device to assist in controlling the slide. Glissading is a high-risk activity due to the unforeseen dangers, such as holes or crevasses, in the snow path,” said Chelan County Sheriff Sergeant Kent Sission.  

Ian Dunn can be reached at 548-5286 or editor@leavenworthecho.com.

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