Tragedy on Mount Rainier as Search Teams Recover Body of Missing 80-Year-Old Solo Climber

Search crews on Mount Rainier have recovered the body of an 80-year-old solo climber who had gone missing last week.

Dawes Eddy, of Spokane, Washington, was last seen on May 30 heading up hill on an area of the 14,441-foot mountain known as Cathedral Gap. He had been climbing alone and was taking the Ingraham Direct route, which is part of the most popular climbing route on the volcano.

On Tuesday, Mount Rainier National Park officials said search teams had recovered a body inside a crevasse believed to be Eddy. The medical examiner will confirm the climber’s identity, officials said, marking a grim conclusion to a six-day search.

The park said Eddy’s disappearance was the first time a solo climber had gone missing on the mountain since 2014. Park officials said they had deployed multiple search teams to look for Eddy, including ground teams, dog teams, and a helicopter crew.

Eddy’s disappearance has been a tragedy for the local community, and the park has expressed its condolences to the family and friends of the climber. Park officials have also urged climbers to take the necessary safety precautions when embarking on a solo climb.