U.S. climber's body found in Alta. after 21 years
'Quite a mummified look to him,' rescue specialist says
Last Updated: Saturday, August 28, 2010 | 8:07 PM MT
CBC News
The body of an American climber has been discovered on a glacier in Jasper, Alta., 21 years after his death.
Two hikers found the body of William Holland, 38, of Gorham, Maine, two weeks ago while hiking a treacherous route known as Slipstream, a frozen waterfall on a 3,456-metre peak called Snow Dome.
Parks Canada rescue specialist Garth Lemke said the glacier ice that covered the body had melted, leaving an eerie scene.
"By the time we got there the body was fully exposed. We didn't have to chip the body out at all," Lemke said. "He was generally skin and bones, having quite a mummified look to him. His clothes and gear were relatively intact, and if you look at where he was, he was basically in a deep freeze for the last 21 years."
Lemke said RCMP have notified Holland's family.
Lemke said the route has many hazards and several people have died while climbing Slipstream. In April 1989, Holland "walked too close to a cornice, which failed and took him away with it, tumbling down the side of the mountain about 1,000 feet," Lemke told CBC News.
According to Parks Canada records from 1989, Holland's partner was temporarily stranded until another climbing party happened upon him and offered assistance. Then as the party was descending the mountain, one climber fell into a crevasse and injured his shoulder.
They left that climber in a tent and continued downward, eventually reaching a highway where they summoned help
Rescuers "went searching the following day only to discover the area was obliterated and search efforts were ceased," Lemke said, adding that Holland was presumed to have perished.
With files from The Canadian PressShare Tools
Latest Calgary News Headlines
- Alberta radar running again after breakdown
- Predicting severe weather patterns is still presenting a challenge for local weather watchers after four Environment Canada Doppler radars stopped working properly this week. more »
- Inquiry rules on death of troubled Alberta teen
- A fatality inquiry into the death of a mentally troubled Alberta teenager is recommending hospitals tighten rules on all outings for psychiatric patients. more »
- Alberta readies 60 new ambulances for service
- Around 60 new ambulances will soon be whizzing across the province thanks to a large purchase by Alberta Health Services. more »
- Suspicious death in S.E. investigated
- A man was found dead in southeast Calgary early Friday morning in what police are calling suspicious circumstances. more »
Top News Headlines
- Attack on Syrian villages deadliest yet, activists say
- More than 90 people have been killed by regime forces in a district of central Syria, activists say, and as many as half the victims may have been children. more »
- Aylmer triple stabbing leads to first-degree murder charges
- The estranged partner of a young mother who was stabbed to death along with her parents at their home in Aylmer, Que., has been charged with first-degree murder Friday. more »
- Tornado touchdown confirmed near Montreal
- Trees were uprooted, roofs damaged and windows shattered as severe thunderstorms, and possibly a tornado, rattled through southwestern Quebec Friday night. more »
- The risks and responsibilities of taking on Mt. Everest
- The deaths of five climbers last weekend on Mt. Everest, with more summits underway this weekend, fuels the debate about the risks and responsibilities of high altitude climbing. more »
- Former MLA questions need for Alberta Party
- Inquiry rules on death of troubled Alberta teen
- Alberta radar running again after breakdown
- Police couldn’t stop double fatal crash, judge says
- Alberta readies 60 new ambulances for service
- Suspicious death in S.E. investigated
- TEDxYYC brings passionate speakers to Calgary today
- Calgary woman who killed mother gets 5 years
- Beltline attack leaves man critically injured
