The body of an experienced hiker who plummeted 1200 feet to his death down a volcano in Washington was discovered by a group of climbers ascending Mount St. Helens.
Roscoe "Rocky" Shorey, 42, of Washougal, Washington, was found dead Saturday after a climbing group reached the summit and came upon his personal belongings, according to the Skamania County Sheriff's Office.
"Near the personal belongings, a snow cornice near the rim fractured and fell into the crater of the mountain. The climbing group reported observing a motionless person within the crater of the volcano approximately 1200 feet below the summit," the sheriff's office said.
A snow cornice is an overhang of snow that can break off suddenly and is often hazardous.
The climbers called for help and Shorey's body was recovered by several rescuers.
Authorities described Shorey as an "experienced mountain climber" who "had successfully summited Mount St. Helens 28 times prior to this accident."
Shorey's friend, Bret Barnum, said the avid climber was "more my little brother than my friend," according to KGW-TV.
"In 42 years, that guy lived a hundred years of life easily... I was fortunate enough to be able to hop in the car and take a ride with him. Every time we could go out, it was an adventure," said Barnum.
"The testament to his life is that he just lived it," he said. "He lived in his way. He did not live dangerously. He lived it (life) with prediction, with passion, with intention. The community as a whole, the metro area, has lost a very, very caring individual who was not reckless, nor careless, and happened to fall upon some very bad luck that day."
