An update on the victims of last weekend's avalanche where three climbers were killed on Colchuck Peak and still remain on the mountain side. They have now been identified as Seong Cho, 54, of West Hartford, Connecticut; Jeannie Lee, 60, of Bayside, New York; and Yun Park, 66, of Palisades Park, New Jersey. The three were swept away in a 500 foot fall down the Northeast Couloir during their attempt to ascend. According Chelan County Emergency Management, the avalanche had been triggered by the lead climber in the six person expedition.
In a press release Wednesday evening, the three who were killed had to be left where they fell while rescuers are waiting for more favorable weather and safety conditions before attempting to retrieve their bodies. Challenging weather conditions including strong winds and considerable avalanche danger remains in high elevations for today. The six climbers elected to make their way on Colchuck Peak despite forecasts on the day of their climb calling for moderate avalanche danger high in the east-central Cascades, and went on to warn of “heightened danger during the second half of the day.”