A 53-year-old California climber who died in an “unsurvivable” fall after reaching the 13,000-foot summit of Mount Morgan sent a final text message just hours before he was killed.
Brian Seibert messaged at about 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, to say he had begun his descent. He later fell from a cliff ledge near the base of Grand Central Couloir, and his remains were located more than 72 hours later.
The Mono County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team launched its response Monday, Oct. 5, after Seibert failed to return by the expected time of approximately 11:30 p.m., authorities said.
Investigators and regional search specialists reconstructed his likely route using photo and topographic comparisons, detailed cellphone forensics and a K-9 search around Seibert’s vehicle.
A California National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter was used to transport rescuers to an elevation of roughly 12,500 feet as the search continued Monday.
“Just after 1400 hours [on Tuesday, Oct. 6], the Schooner crew identified an anomaly from the air near the bottom of Grand Central Couloir, which is a prominent east-facing gully off of the summit proper,” the Mono County Search and Rescue team, a volunteer wilderness rescue organization, said.
A separate group tracking a single line of footprints down the couloir then reached the location and confirmed that the person found was Seibert.
Because of the highly dangerous terrain between Seibert’s location and the closest helicopter landing area, rescuers determined they could not safely complete the recovery that day, the team said.
Seibert’s body was recovered early Wednesday by Yosemite National Park helicopter 551, which is equipped for short-haul operations, along with a Yosemite Search and Rescue crew.
