Man falls over 800 feet to his death 1 day after another hiker found dead on same mountain
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- Gary Idleburg, 66, died after falling between 800 to 1,000 feet on Sauk Mountain in Washington while hiking, with the fall occurring near a switchback trail on Saturday afternoon.
- Emergency responders were guided to Idleburg's remote and difficult-to-access location by other hikers, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, and the recovery operation lasted until about 8 p.m.
- Idleburg's death followed the discovery of another hiker, Peter Kalapaca, 78, who was found dead on the same mountain the previous day after being reported missing.
- Kalapaca's body was located by a helicopter crew in a steep, inaccessible area and was recovered by a different helicopter, with the sheriff's office expressing condolences to his family.
- Authorities acknowledged the challenging conditions involved in both incidents and expressed gratitude for the efforts of all personnel involved in the search and recovery operations.
