Man’s Body Recovered On Mount St. Helens

MOUNT SAINT HELENS, Wash. – A rescue helicopter from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island has recovered a body of in an area where they had been searching for a 52-year-old Kelso man who fell 1,000-feet into the crater of Mount St. Helens.Witnesses said the body was partially buried in the snow, and rescuers used shovels to uncover it, before loading it into the naval helicopter.Dense fog and rain shrouded Mount St. Helens this morning, stalling efforts to rescue experienced mountaineer Joseph Bohlig, said David Cox, undersheriff for Skamania County.

Bohlig fell Monday afternoon after removing his pack for a photograph, and Skamania County Sheriff Dave Brown said they believe Bohlig had his back to the crater when a snow cornice collapsed, “and down he went,” Brown said.Rough weather prevented a ground search for Bohlig. Warm from the rigorous four-hour ascent when his frequent climbing partner Scott Salkovics.”He took quite a spill,” said Brown. Bohlig fell more than 1,000 feet down a 70-degree, exposed slope into the caldera of Mount St. Helens.Salkovics told officials he watched in horror as his climbing partner fell, and tried to grab onto something before he disappeared over the edge.Dangerous downdrafts and unstable rocks complicated air and ground rescue attempts Monday. A medic reached the crater floor, but had to turn back because high winds were dislodging rocks, creating a dangerous situation. Before sundown, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter from Astoria spotted Bohlig, who was not moving.Courtesy: The Oregonian Newspaper