UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

At 10:00 a.m. on June 6, 2022, the employee and coworker #1 were providing guide services to five clients to ascend the summit of Mt. Shasta. The incident occu rred on the final day of a four-day mountain climbing expedition when the group of climbers were at an elevation of 11,500 feet. Coworker #1 was tethered with harnesses and climbing ropes to three clients, and was 50 feet ahead of the empl oyee who was tethered to two clients. When conditions changed from snow to ice, coworker #1 communicated via radio to the employee that it was too dangerous to continue the summit attempt, but that an area 100 feet ahead would provide a saf e location for the groups to remain until they could safely descend to base camp . While coworker #1 looked away momentarily, the employee and her two guests lo st control and slid down the mountain out of sight. The employee and her two gu ests attempted to self-arrest but could not due to extreme ice conditions and th e speed of the group, finally stopping 2,000 feet down the mountain. One of the two guests used their cell phone to call emergency medical services (EMS) via 9- 1-1. Coworker #1 radioed coworker #2 at base camp for assistance, and coworker #2 began their ascent to the employee and guests. Both coworker #1 and coworker #2 monitored the condition of the employee who had sustained various bruises, c ontusions and lacerations to the body. The employee's condition was observed to worsen prior to the arrival of California Highway Patrol (CHP) air rescue helic opter, and Coworker #2 initiated CPR when the employee went into cardiac arrest. The employee was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS personnel.