Climber dies in 100-foot fall on snowy peak into rocky crevasse, Utah rescuers say

A climber preparing to scale a Utah peak died Saturday after sliding 100 feet on snow and falling into a rocky crevasse, rescuers say.

James Roache, 54, and a companion were preparing to climb the West Slabs of Mount Olympus southeast of Salt Lake City when the accident took place, KSL reported.

“The two were near the base of the Slabs route when one of them slipped on steep snow,” the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team wrote on Facebook.

“He slid a considerable distance before hitting rocks below and dropping into a narrow space between a wall of rock and deep snow which had melted away from the wall,” the post reads. Roache was killed in the 9 a.m. fall.

Rescuers airlifted Roache’s companion off the mountain and later removed his body after moving it to a more accessible location.

This story was originally published May 23, 2021 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Climber dies in 100-foot fall on snowy peak into rocky crevasse, Utah rescuers say."