Hiker plummets to his death
October 2, 2008 · Updated 1:58 PM
SNOQUALMIE PASS - A hiker near the Alpental ski area, identified by authorities as a 23-year-old Richland man, fell 600 feet and died while attempting to scale Chair Peak.
Chad Engstrom, 23, was hiking with his uncle Saturday on the 6,238-foot peak. According to rescue workers, the man's uncle stopped before reaching the top of Chair Peak. The uncle then heard rocks falling and turned to see Engstrom, an experienced hiker, fall down the side of the hill.
The two men were not roped together during the climb. Rescuers recovered Engstrom's body at 7 a.m. Sunday.
On Saturday, as rescue workers responded to the hiking fatality, they were called to help two others who suffered injuries in accidents nearby.
A female hiker was rescued by an Army helicopter stationed out of Fort Lewis after she suffered a dislocated knee on the Rock Creek Trail to Snow Lake.
Marilyn Liepel, 42, of Seattle reportedly slipped on a wet rock. Rescuers tried to airlift her out of the area with a helicopter already in the area, but it didn't have enough power to land and pick her up.
A 26-year-old mountain biker broke his collarbone after crashing his bike on the Iron Horse Trail near Snoqualmie Pass.
Comment on this story.
So keep your comments:
- Civil
- Smart
- On-topic
- Free of profanity
We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.
