Names Of Three Men Killed In Rock Climbing Accident Near Mazama Released
The names of three men who were killed in a rock climbing accident in Okanogan County have been released.
The Okanogan County Coroner's Office says 36-year-old Oleksander Martynenko of Bellevue, 48-year-old Vishnu Irigireddy of Renton, and 63-year-old Tim Nguyen - also of Renton, all died after falling hundreds of feet while attempting to descend a steep gully in the area of the North Early Winters Spire about 16 miles west of Mazama on Saturday evening.
A fourth man, whose identity has not been released, also fell along with the three other climbers but survived and was able to leave the site and drive over 40 miles to Newhalem where he called for help.
Investigators say the four climbers were all tied to the same anchor point while rappelling when the anchor failed, sending them into a vertical plummet of approximately 200 feet before they skidded another 200 feet down a rocky, snow-covered chute.
The bodies of the three deceased climbers were all recovered on Sunday afternoon by a helicopter crew from Snohomish County.
Officials with the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office say the investigation into the accident is ongoing.
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