The body of a New York man who went out for a day hike in Mount Rainier National Park was recovered Tuesday.
Authorities did not immediate assign a cause of death, but said Brian Grobois, 54, of New Rochelle, New York, was thought to have been dead for at least 24 hours when rescuers reached his location Tuesday.
A search for the man was launched Monday morning after a report of an overdue hiker was filed with the park. According to that information, Mr. Grobois had planned on a day hike at Paradise on Sunday.
On Monday crews searched the Nisqually and Steven’s Creek drainages, Mazama Ridge, and the Nisqually Glacier valley north of Glacier Bridge. The hiker was spotted in the late afternoon by air searchers in a remote area of upper Stevens Creek drainage, park spokeswoman Patti Wold reported Tuesday evening.
However, the helicopter was not able to land or drop rescuers at the victim’s location, she said.
Mr. Grobois could be seen lying in the drainage and was unresponsive to the helicopter, the park spokeswoman added.
An attempt to reach the victim Monday evening was not safe for search teams due to difficult terrain and travel conditions and approaching darkness. Tuesday morning a ground team was transported to Stevens Creek Bridge by pisten bully. The ground team then moved up the drainage where they located the victim. He was airlifted to Madigan Army Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased.
An investigation following up on the incident was continuing.
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