One climber has died and four others were injured – including at least two critically – after their hike took a dangerous turn on California’s Mount Shasta.
Multiple incidents were declared on the mountain throughout Monday with one dead climber airlifted away, and three others rescued with injuries including a broken ankle.
The climbers were rescued between 8.39am, when three of the climbers were located by first responders, and 6.34pm, when the fifth climber was located following an hours-long search.
At least two of the climbers were in a critical condition and were flown to a nearby hospital, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.
No names were released by the sheriff’s office and it was unclear if all five were part of a single group. The cause of the injuries was not immediately clear.
All five were climbing the second highest peak in the Cascade Mountain range, which had experienced snowfall on Sunday night, ABC 11 reported.
That meant conditions on the mountain were icy on Monday, when the five people came into difficulty near Avalanche Gulch, a snowy glacier climb on the mountain, the sheriff’s office said.
Wallace Casper, a camber, was filmed by the sheriff’s office issuing a warning to those considering tackling the summit this week amid “tough conditions”.
“There’s really bad rainwater ice there,” he said. “Just really tough conditions up there. A lot of people had issues with falling and sliding.”
Further details are expected to be released once the family of the deceased climber have been informed.
