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Hiker Joseph Bohlig dies after falling into volcano [Mt. St. Helens, WA]
Herald and Weekly Times ^ | Wednesday, February 17, 2010 | Staff Report

Posted on 02/17/2010 11:35:37 AM PST by Star Traveler

Hiker Joseph Bohlig dies after falling into volcano

NewsCore February 17, 2010 12:19PM



Mount St Helens looms over Spirit Lake, still full of debris
from the volcano's 1980 eruption

A MAN who fell into the crater of north-west America's Mount St Helens volcano died after rescuers were forced to abandon their bid to save him overnight, it emerged today.

The 53-year-old's body was recovered by a US Navy helicopter after rescue attempts began again this morning.

He was named as Joseph Bohlig, KPTV reported.

He toppled into the crater - falling up to 1500 ft (457m) over rocks and ice then landing on a 70-degree snowy slope near the bottom - after a ledge he stood on near the rim collapsed on Monday.

He was believed to be alive when he landed, although his condition was not known, with rescuers saying they could hear him blowing an emergency whistle.

Attempts to reach him by helicopter on Monday afternoon and evening were called off due to unsafe winds and the approach of darkness, forcing Bohlig to spend the night in the crater.

A medic was airlifted to the crater floor but was unable to climb to Bohlig and had to be flown out again.

Lt. Brooks Crawford of the US Coast Guard - one of two pilots that tried to rescue Bohlig on Monday - told KPTV the victim was buried in snow.

"We were 300 feet (91m) above him," Crawford said. "(The other pilot and the rescue swimmer) saw his head, arms and legs and saw no movement whatsoever. No signaling, nothing to indicate that he was in good shape."

Bohlig had climbed Mount St Helens 68 times, according to the Skamania County sheriff's office. Officials believe he may have been posing for a photo to be taken by his partner when the ledge gave way.

Mount St Helens - famous for a deadly explosion in 1980 which killed 57 people - is an active volcano in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest of Oregon, in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire geological region.

Thousands of people climb to the crater's rim each year, but permits are required to go above 4800 feet (1463m).

A warning on the US Forest Service Web site said the crater rim is "unstable and can be hazardous at any time".


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; US: Oregon; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: hiking; mtsthelens; portlandor; rescue; volcano
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This is the volcano that dumped ash all over Eastern Washington and also dumped ash over Portland, Oregon, a couple of times, back in 1980...
1 posted on 02/17/2010 11:35:38 AM PST by Star Traveler
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To: Star Traveler

Will Gaia be pleased or must we still pay for our collective sins with global warming?


2 posted on 02/17/2010 11:37:17 AM PST by a fool in paradise (DON'T SAY "Happy Valentines' Day". It's Happy Holidays! This is the Holiday Season (Prez Day Feb15))
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To: All

Mt. St. Helens




3 posted on 02/17/2010 11:38:39 AM PST by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: Star Traveler

A very sad story. Saw his Father on ‘youtube’ interview. A nice family; a good guy. . .and a death that has a ‘primordial fear’ spectre to it.


4 posted on 02/17/2010 11:39:20 AM PST by cricket (Proud to be the 'Party of NO')
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To: Star Traveler

It probably would’ve been an awesome picture if the ledge didn’t give way.


5 posted on 02/17/2010 11:39:39 AM PST by b4its2late (A Liberal is a person who will give away everything he doesn't own.)
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To: b4its2late

I was wondering if they got the picture before he fell.


6 posted on 02/17/2010 11:40:16 AM PST by the_devils_advocate_666
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To: Star Traveler
I've been on the mountain in winter, you step off a trail and you can easily be neck high in powder. I am surprised he was even found at all unless the crater bowl is iced over.
7 posted on 02/17/2010 11:40:32 AM PST by NavyCanDo
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To: a fool in paradise

I dunno about paying for raping Gaia, but we’ll sure pay for all the emergency personnel and equipment used to try to save/recover this numbskull.


8 posted on 02/17/2010 11:40:35 AM PST by randog (Tap into America!)
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To: All

9 posted on 02/17/2010 11:40:51 AM PST by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: Star Traveler

Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to take off all your emergency gear and warm clothing before perching on the edge of a volcano to take a picture. But I guess when you do something 68 times you get slightly cocky.


10 posted on 02/17/2010 11:41:21 AM PST by Deb (Beat him, strip him and bring him to my tent!)
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To: cricket

Kind of. He didn’t fry; he froze.


11 posted on 02/17/2010 11:41:53 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (I am in America but not of America (per bible: am in the world but not of it))
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To: Star Traveler

12 posted on 02/17/2010 11:42:15 AM PST by OB1kNOb (Help support a sustainable America for tomorrow. Go green by recycling Congress.)
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To: NavyCanDo
You were saying ...

I've been on the mountain in winter, you step off a trail and you can easily be neck high in powder. I am surprised he was even found at all unless the crater bowl is iced over.

I've been all around it, both before the eruption and afterwards, too. It's still a beautiful place, but now in a different way than before... :-)

13 posted on 02/17/2010 11:42:20 AM PST by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: randog

I recall when Al Gore was VP and got lost hiking in the woods.


14 posted on 02/17/2010 11:43:30 AM PST by a fool in paradise (DON'T SAY "Happy Valentines' Day". It's Happy Holidays! This is the Holiday Season (Prez Day Feb15))
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To: All
Spirit Lake and Mt. St. Helens in a "before" picture... you could see the "snow-cone top" from Portland, Oregon, very easily.


15 posted on 02/17/2010 11:44:37 AM PST by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: Star Traveler


"Oy"

16 posted on 02/17/2010 11:44:40 AM PST by egannacht (Inalienable rights granted by...)
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To: the_devils_advocate_666
"I was wondering if they got the picture before he fell."


17 posted on 02/17/2010 11:48:01 AM PST by TheThirdRuffian (Nothing to see here. Move along.)
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To: b4its2late

Other than that, how was the show Mrs. Lincoln?


18 posted on 02/17/2010 11:48:31 AM PST by Mark was here (The earth is bipolar. ---- "OBAMA: THE GREAT MISTAKE OF 2008")
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To: All
There's the "bulge" on the north side of Mt. St. Helens, the day before it blew up. And on that day (a Saturday) they had let the homeowners in that area, finally get back to their homes (in the "red zone") to get their belongings and get out.

I remember that many of them complained that they should be allowed to stay overnight to collect their belongings in their houses through the weekend. But, the State of Washington refused to let them and ordered them all out by sundown, that Saturday.

Well, it was just a few hours later, Sunday morning, that all hell broke loose and those people never got back to their homes again (at least not many of them...).


19 posted on 02/17/2010 11:49:59 AM PST by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: Star Traveler

Joe versus the volcano? A different outcome, sadly.


20 posted on 02/17/2010 11:52:29 AM PST by Starrgaizr
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