Search and rescue crews are looking for two snowboarders who were stranded on Mount Rainier overnight because of blizzard-like conditions.
The snowboarders, ages 20 and 21, spoke with rescuers by phone around 7 am on Monday and have been identified as Derek Tyndall and Thomas Dale, reports KING5-TV .
The two men went snowboarding on Sunday, but got stuck on their descent down the mountain as conditions worsened.
Mount Rainier National Park spokesman Kevin Bacher stated that the two snowboarders called on Sunday afternoon to report they were lost in the storm while descending the slopes from Camp Muir.
The two men had winter gear, smartphones, and a compass with them, but they did not pack overnight gear. The two men are reportedly cold from the conditions but are unhurt from their time outside. They were able to take shelter overnight by digging a snow cave, reports The Oregonian .
The two snowboarders are believed to be at about 7,500 feet elevation between Camp Muir and Paradise, though their exact location is not yet known. More than 20 people are assisting in the search and rescue operation on Mount Rainier to search for Dale and Tyndall.
Roger Beckett from Olympic Mountain Rescue stated that 10 members of the group’s advanced team are helping with the rescue operation. Beckett added that members of Tacoma Mountain Rescue are also aiding park rangers in recovering the missing snowboarders.
The temperature on Mount Rainier Monday morning was about 19 degrees with gusts of wind up to 70 miles per hour, making rescue attempts difficult. No word has come yet on whether the rescue crews have located the two snowboarders stranded on Rainier.
