VERLOT — A 15-year-old Lynnwood boy fell to his death Saturday evening while climbing above Lake 22 on Mount Pilchuck, authorities said.
Initial reports suggest the teen had been scaling a rock wall when he plummeted about 30 feet onto an snow field, Snohomish County sheriff’s Lt. Steve Dittoe said.
A friend called 911 around 7:45 p.m. to report what had happened.
A sheriff’s office helicopter and Everett Mountain Rescue were dispatched to the area. The helicopter crew found the teen’s body, but was unable to bring it back that night, Dittoe said. They returned to recover his remains around 8:30 a.m. Sunday.
The Medical Examiner’s Office had not released the boy’s name as of Sunday evening.
On the day of the accident, the teen had been out hiking with a group of people who included his brother.
Further details about the circumstances were unavailable Sunday.
The popular Lake 22 trail begins off the Mountain Loop Highway east of Verlot. It takes hikers through old-growth forest, eventually reaching a spectacular mountain lake hemmed in by sheer cliffs. Snow lingers around the lake year round.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
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