A hiker from Los Gatos was reported missing near Mt. Ritter by his hiking partner, from Minnesota. They had become separated on Sunday while scouting a route for a Monday ascent of Mt. Ritter. When the subject had not returned to their camp by Sunday morning, the RP hiked out for help.
Search efforts began at 1130 Monday with trail block and field interviews on the trail to Shadow Lake. Team 1 hiked in and found their camp. Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter 863 spotted an object on a glacier, and dropped off Team 2 below the glacier.
Using ice axes and crampons, Team 2 climbed to the location and confirmed that the object spotted from the air was indeed the deceased victim. He had apparently fallen while traversing the glacier, and sustained severe head and body trauma.
Teams 1 and 2 spent the evening lowering the victim off the glacier using ice axe anchors, and down to the landing zone where Team 2 had been inserted.
Monday morning the victim and teams were picked up by the same helicopter and taken to Minaret Vista. Sgt. Chuck Bump from Madera County SAR took custody of the body. Responders were: Holmquist (Ops), Enright (Ops), Gilbreath (Ops), Schmidt, McClintock, Michalski, C. Knoche, A. Knoche, DeGeorge, Beck, Hansen, and Hronesh.
This series of pictures by Dave Michalski shows the locating and subsequent lowering of the victim to a point where he could be picked up by helicopter. The team bivouacked overnight and the helicopter arrived the next morning.
