Surrey, B.C. climber falls to his death on Washington’s Mount Rainier

A recreational climber from Surrey, B.C. has fallen to his death on Mount Rainier in Washington state.

Chun Hui Zhang, 52, was reportedly on a private summit climb with friends on Monday when witnesses reported seeing him take a “substantial fall” on the Disappointment Cleaver route, the National Park Service said in a Wednesday news release.

Mountain climbing guides and rangers failed to locate him, and he was found the next day with help from a helicopter.

Mount Rainier is an active volcano more than 14,000 feet above sea level. According to the park service, thousands of mountaineers reach its peak each year.

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The Disappointment Cleaver-Ingraham Glacier Direct route is the most popular, representing 75 per cent of all summit attempts. Fifty per cent of all Mount Rainier summit attempts are successful, with “climber fatigue” cited as the most common reason for turning back.

The route averages three major search-and-rescue incidents and one death a year, states the route brief on the park service website.

Global News has reached out for more information.

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