Mount Rainier Bodies Found: Helicopter Search Finds 3 Bodies Believed To Be From Group Missing Since May

Three Mount Rainier bodies have been found near the area where six hikers went missing in May. The bodies were found during a helicopter search, but they are located in a treacherous area that is difficult to navigate by foot. At this point it is unknown just when the bodies will be able to be recovered and returned to the families.

Reuters shares that the three Mount Rainier bodies are not yet confirmed to be from the group of missing hikers, but it seems authorities believe it is likely. The six climbers left for a five-day trek in the area and went missing two days into their trip. The group included Intel Corp Vice President Uday Marty and two professional guides as well as three other climbers. They had used a satellite phone to make contact with someone once they reached a height of 12,800 feet, and that was the last anyone heard from them.

Reports indicate that the Mount Rainier bodies appear to be of climbers who fell or were struck by rock or an avalanche of snow. The group had been trying to tackle the Liberty Ridge hike, a climb that is one of the most technically challenging in the area.

According to the Associated Press via NWCN, the Mount Rainier bodies will be recovered as soon as the park can determine how to access the area without putting rescuers at risk. It is believed that the four climbers and two guides fell about 3,300 feet. During the search right after the group went missing, rescuers found some gear and they were able to detect signals coming from avalanche beacons believed to be from the group. The beacons were buried under snow at the top of the Carbon Glacier, which is at 9,500 feet.

Once climbers go missing in these areas it can be quite difficult to find and recover them. Just last month, as previously reported by the Inquisitr, a climber who had been missing for 32 years was found and recovered. Patrice Hyvert had gone missing in the Mont Blanc range of the Alps in 1982, and his body was only found in July. While the families involved in the this latest case of course would have wished for a different outcome, the discovery of three of the Mount Rainier bodies will surely provide an opportunity for closure. Hopefully as rescuers make their way to the three bodies that have been discovered so far, the other three missing climbers can be found as well.

[Image via CBS News]