Climber's Body Recovered In St. Helens Crater

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

Authorities say the body of a climber who fell into the crater atop Mount St. Helens has been recovered.

The Skamania County Sheriff's office says the body of Joseph Bohlig was found Tuesday, more than a day after the 52-year-old man tumbled 1,500 feet.

Bohlig, of Kelso, Wash., reached the summit with a climbing partner after a four-hour hike Monday.

Bohlig took off his backpack and a layer of clothing then decided to pose for pictures near the rim of the crater. He was backing up when the snow gave way and he fell.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/02/15/national/a164618S48.DTL

[emilyg]

1. So sad.

[medeak]

2. memorial just held for friend still on Mt. Hood

what beautiful photos he took...it really does look like heaven on the top...can understand why they do it
documentary being made...trailer here:

http://www.headwallmovie.com/

[Brother Buzz]

9. My cousin is still up on Mt Hood, too

Over six years. I wonder if they will ever find his body in my lifetime.

[medeak]

11. saw photos

saw photos of the crevasses (sp?) friend took on Hood.. amazingly deep... if anyone fell in one don't think they would ever be found. Am so sorry about your cousin..but hope there is some comfort that he's buried on the most beautiful place?

[Brother Buzz]

13. His wife views Mt Hood from her window

She and her kids took it hard for the first years, what with lack of closure, but things have improved.

[medeak]

15. understand

recovery planned in April and they know exactly the location from Luke's camera that was found..but don't know what is harder...reliving it all over again or just letting go of him on the mountain. His Mom says...she doesn't want him found..as she can't handle any more.

[eagertolearn]

3. A place he loved so much. You never know when our time will come.

[struggle4progress]

5. But ... our end might come sooner if we stand on a snow cornice

... "The snow gave way, the cornice overhang gave way as he was standing there and he essentially fell the distance that he did," Skamania County Sheriff Dave Brown said ... http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/02/16/washington.hiker.volcano/?hpt=T2

Sample cornices:

http://www.idahosummits.com.nyud.net:8090/jackson/images/cornice.jpg
http://blog.sanjuanhuts.com.nyud.net:8090/images/3306699198_690a8bfbb0.jpg
http://images.aad.gov.au.nyud.net:8090/img.py/2e7a.jpg

[damyank913]

20. Not sure but this might qualify as purifying the gene pool.

I can't stand the fact that ppl that should know better put lifesavers at risk because of their own stupidity.

[eagertolearn]

21. Beautiful pictures. Yes I remember standing at the top of Mt Hood and not wanting to get too close

to the edge.

[renate]

4. oh my gosh, he survived the fall

That makes this even more horrible and sad. :cry:

[pasto76]

6. thanks to our Mountain Rescue Volunteers who responded

Volcano Rescue Team are folks Ive met and worked with. Top notch.

[primavera]

14. Do they ever resent risking their lives for this stuff?

I understand that mountain climbing is exhilarating and that you can see sights few will ever get to see, but it can be quite a dangerous form of recreation. I'm a great believer that climbers have every right to risk their own lives for the sake of their hobby. I'm less convinced that they have the right to risk the lives of others to do so. I consequently often wonder how mountain rescue people must feel being asked to risk their lives for the sake of someone else's conscious decision to unnecessarily risk their life and limb.

[pasto76]

16. complicated answer

the short answer is no. We are all volunteers, and can un-volunteer whenever we wish. Im out there to help though. I've been in jams, most of us are if we pursue adventure long enough. every person we assist is a seed of experience that can be shared with others. When I recover a body, its just a body, but whomever it was has a wife, parents or family that deserves closure and a start to their grieving process.

[kestrel91316]

22. NO. Climbers know that mountain rescue is an essential service,

and one that THEY themselves could benefit from some day. AFAIK all mountain rescue folks are also recreational climbers.

[WriteDown]

23. Seems like climbers should be required to buy insurance to help cover the massive costs...

of rescue operations then. Not sure it is feasible, but just a thought.

[kestrel91316]

24. You might as well propose that anyone who leaves a sidewalk buy massive

insurance to cover rescue costs. Climbers are far from the only people who get into trouble and need help. I am reminded of a little girl and a well in a back yard in TX years ago.

[WriteDown]

25. What is the cost of well rescue each year in the US as opposed to mountain rescue?

:shrug:

[LanternWaste]

26. Insurance limited only to climbers...

Insurance limited only to climbers, or to anyone who willingly takes any risk outside of the normal, day-to-day operations of our lives?

If limited only to climbers, what is the precise and relevant moral difference? If across the board, what is the objective source the list of all actions that require insurance to be based on?

[medeak]

17. Anthony Vietti was on rescue team

and top notch... there was some horrible accident in Dec..blood found on Luke's body that was found that wasn't his...ugh.

[Great Bear]

7. Tragic, but hopefully

This will appease the Volcano Goddess for a while.



Oh, come on. You know you thought it too.

[Cleita]

10. I don't think Pele appreciates your sentiment. n/t

[Hekate]

19. I think Madame Pele pretty much lives in Halema'uma'u or Kilauea and accepts gin or brandy ...

... as offerings, as well as red flowers and the like. There doesn't seem to be any record of her wanting human sacrifice.

Nice painting of her though.

Hekate

[marshall]

8. Many of the most stunning photos required death defying feats

I remember over twenty years ago watching a television show about a man who was scaling a mountain. His climbing seemed very daring, until one cameraman happened to catch a second cameraman in his shot--the guy was hanging upside down by a wire suspended from the top of the cliff. It reminded me of that old saying about Ginger Rogers--she did everything Fred Astaire did, only she did it backwards and in high heels.

[applegrove]

12. RIP

[DeadEyeDyck]

18. heart breaker