Authorities announced Tuesday that a climbing guide was killed after falling more than 1,000 feet down a California mountain in dangerously icy conditions due to a late winter storm.
Jillian Elizabeth Webster (32), was among five people who fell while climbing Mount. According to a Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office news release, Shasta fell on Monday morning.
Webster, a Redmond, Oregon resident, was tied to two others when they lost their footing. They then slid between 1,500-2,500 feet in an area called “Avalanche Gulch”. The incident occurred at 8:35 AM.
Webster was not responding to CPR, so a nurse climbing near her administered CPR. Later, she was declared dead at a local hospital.
According to the sheriff’s office, one of the climbers tied to Webster sustained head trauma and a fractured lower limb. Another climber had a fractured leg.
Two other climbers fell approximately 1,000 feet down the mountain in separate incidents at 12:31 p.m. and 4 p.m. Two other climbers also fell roughly 1,000 feet down the mountain. They were both airlifted to a nearby hospital.
Monday’s statement by the sheriff’s office stated that two of the injured climbers were in critical condition following the incidents.
According to a spokeswoman from the sheriff’s department, Tuesday’s sixth victim fell and sustained a possible leg injury and broken bones. He was then airlifted into a local hospital. The condition of the person was not immediately known.
Webster’s level of experience wasn’t immediately apparent. Webster was not able to identify the climbing outfit with which she was associated.
Tim Keating has climbed Mt. Shasta, who has summited Mt.
Keating didn’t know Webster and his company was not involved in the trip. According to Keating, recent snow likely had refrozen, creating a layer that could make it treacherous and difficult.
He said, “It could change the nature of a mountain.” “Something that is a beginner slope 80-90 percent can be very dangerous the rest of the time.”
He said, “The general population, they go there and they have no idea what they’re getting themselves into.”
Keating stated that his company led a group of people up the mountain without any problems over the weekend, but they couldn’t reach the top due to gusts between 90 and 100 mph.
