LEAVENWORTH, Wash. — Editor's note: The above video on the Northwest Avalanche Center's final report on the Colchuck Peak avalanche originally aired March 27, 2023.
The body of a climber who was killed in an avalanche while climbing Colchuck Peak in February has been recovered.
Three people in a party of six climbers died Feb. 19 as they were attempting the Northeast Couloir route on Colchuck Peak. The lead climber triggered a slab avalanche that carried four people at least 1,000 feet.
A Chelan County Mountain Rescue volunteer found the body of Jeannie Lee, 60, of Bayside, New York at the base of Colchuck Peak on Monday. The volunteer was in the area on a personal trip when he found Lee’s body.
The volunteer hiked to the top of Colchuck Glacier and called dispatch to report it. The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office deployed their helicopter, and two more Chelan County Mountain Rescue volunteers went to help recover Lee’s body.
Lee’s body was taken to the Leavenworth Fish Hatchery and turned over to the Chelan County Coroner’s Office.
Rescuers have not found the body of the other missing climber, Yun Park, 66, of Palisades Park, New Jersey. The body of Seong Cho, 54, of West Hartford, Connecticut was recovered beneath a foot of snow in February.
Although snow has “melted significantly” in recent warm weather, conditions are still not safe to search the area thoroughly, according to the sheriff’s office.
The group was not traveling with avalanche beacons or outreach devices, as someone was forced to climb back down and notify rescuers of the incident. In its final report, the Northwest Avalanche Center said radios could have improved communication between the group, and satellite communication devices could have expedited the process of reaching rescue authorities.