Climber collapses, dies near Mount Rainier’s summit on guided expedition, NPS says

A 41-year-old Bremerton man died this week on a guided climb of Mount Rainier, according to the National Park Service. Officials said he collapsed near the summit Wednesday morning.

The man was identified by NPS as Brian Harper. The man was participating in an expedition led by Alpine Ascents International, a licensed guide service for the mountain, according to a news release issued Friday. Officials said Harper wasn’t breathing when he collapsed, a pulse could not be found and CPR was unsuccessful.

National Park Service climbing and aviation rangers worked with the guide service and an Ashford-based mountain guide company, Rainier Mountaineering Inc., to bring Harper’s body down from the summit over the next day.

Harper and his climbing group set out on the Disappointment Cleaver route on Tuesday, said Kevin Bacher, a spokesperson for Mount Rainier National Park. According to a park service route description, it’s the most popular way to reach the summit. Bacher said the group made it to Camp Muir, which is at an elevation of about 10,000 feet. The mountain stands 14,410 feet above sea level.

Bacher said climbers typically spend the night at the camp and set out for the summit early the next morning. He said the route is safest before the sun hits the snow, which can make conditions less stable.

Before Harper was flown down, Bacher said the man’s body was brought higher up the mountain, where it was more suitable for a helicopter to retrieve him. He said lowland clouds made it unsafe for the mission to be completed Wednesday. Weather conditions improved Thursday morning, and Harper was flown down.

The man’s cause of death has not yet been determined. The Pierce County medical examiner will make that finding. It was not a climbing accident, Bacher said. He said the man’s collapse appeared to be from a medical issue.