Reply #37: Update: Dead climber fell, then died of hypothermia

[depakid]

Gullberg died of hypothermia, said Dr. Chris Young of the state medical examiner's office.

Young said his post-mortem showed what the search team who found him surmised: Gullberg survived "a long, slow" fall and then was able to walk and crawl several hundred yards before expiring.

Hypothermia is an abnormally low body temperature that leads to confusion and lethargy. If untreated it can lead to death.

"He had minor trauma, but nothing lethal," Young said.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/12/post_76.html

Hypothermia probably preceded and contributed to the fall.