Lynnwood snowshoer found dead on Mt. Rainier

Published 4:49 pm Friday, December 21, 2007

LONGMIRE – The body of a missing Lynnwood-area man was found this afternoon at about 4 p.m. on Mount Rainier, officials said.

Kirk Reiser, 22, disappeared into a snow slide Tuesday.

Rescue efforts Wednesday and Thursday to find the Edmonds Community College student were hampered by bad weather, said Kevin Bacher, a Mount Rainier National Park spokesman.

Better weather today allowed crews to use explosives to reduce avalanche danger and send in specially trained dogs and use metal detectors to look for Reiser,

“It’s not the miracle we were hoping for,” Bacher said. “But it is the outcome we expected.”

Reiser’s family, who were with officials at the park’s Longmire headquarters, have been notified.