A Washington man died after falling between 800 and 1,000 feet while hiking last weekend, authorities said.
Gary Idleburg, 66, fell from Sauk Mountain in the Northern Cascades, northeast of Seattle, as he navigated a switchback trail Saturday, according to the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office.
Witnesses reported the fall involving the Olympia native. Emergency responders performed life-saving measures, but Idleburg was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sauk Mountain Trail is seen on a clear day. (U.S. Forest Service)
A day before Idleburg’s fatal fall, another hiker was found dead on steep terrain on the same mountain.
The hiker was identified as 78-year-old Peter Kalapaca, who had been missing for a day.
The sheriff’s office said it “extend[s] our deepest condolences to the Kalapaca family and loved ones. While nothing can lessen the loss of a loved one, we are grateful for the extraordinary effort made by everyone involved, which allows some measure of closure for the family.”
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Both men were found in difficult-to-access terrain. (U.S. Forest Service)
Authorities said Idleburg was found in “difficult” terrain.
Sauk Mountain is located within Washington’s Northern Cascades. (Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The search for Kalapaca involved ground crews, aircraft, air-scent K9 units and mountain rescue personnel, who continued working into the evening.
Witnesses helped guide rescuers to the location where Idleburg was found after his fall.