Hiker conditioning himself for Mount Rainier summit attempt dies on day hike
The body of a man who died while hiking at Mount Rainier National Park was recovered Friday, park officials said.
The 69-year-old man had been missing since Wednesday when family members reported him overdue from a solo hike above Paradise.
Park officials launched a search on Thursday and located his body from the air in the afternoon but weather conditions did not allow recovery until Friday, park officials said in a statement.
The man had undertaken several hikes recently to condition himself for a summit attempt of the 14,411-foot-high mountain, park officials said.
His family believed he had set out on Wednesday for a day hike to Pebble Creek, located above Panorama Point. Weather conditions on Wednesday included rain, sleet, hail, and lightning.
The hiker was located near the base of the Nisqually chute.
This story was originally published June 28, 2019 at 6:29 PM with the headline "Hiker conditioning himself for Mount Rainier summit attempt dies on day hike."
