Seattle — Search and rescue personnel successfully evacuated two stranded mountaineers from Mount Rainier on Friday morning after a sudden blizzard trapped the pair near the summit overnight.
The climbers, who initiated an ascent early Thursday morning, issued an emergency distress beacon after extreme winds and whiteout conditions forced them off their planned descent route. Park rangers launched a coordinated rescue mission alongside high-altitude rescue teams as soon as weather conditions stabilized at first light.
Mount Rainier National Park officials confirmed that both individuals were located in a snow cave they had constructed to survive sub-zero temperatures. Rescue crews provided immediate thermal support on site before airlifting the pair to a regional medical center for standard evaluations.
“Both individuals demonstrated proper emergency preparedness by building shelter, which proved critical to their survival overnight,” a park service spokesperson maintained.
Park authorities advised all visiting climbing parties to monitor rapidly shifting mountain weather patterns closely and carry redundant satellite communication equipment during high-altitude ascents.
