66-Year-Old Hiker Dies After Falling 1,000ft From Mountain Trail In US

A 66-year-old hiker, Gary Idleburg, has died after falling an estimated 800 to 1,000 feet from a trail on Sauk Mountain in Washington State, United States.

The Skagit County Sheriff’s Office said it received multiple emergency calls reporting that a person had fallen from a switchback trail in the Concrete area of Skagit County at about 3:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, September 19.

According to a statement by the sheriff’s office, witnesses said Idleburg had gone “over the edge of the trail” before falling.

Fire personnel were directed to the location by other hikers and attempted to save him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The sheriff’s office said the remote location and difficult terrain made the recovery operation challenging, requiring assistance from Washington State Parks personnel and helicopter resources.

The incident occurred on the same day another hiker, 78-year-old Peter Kalapaca, was found dead in steep terrain along the Sauk Mountain Trail.

Kalapaca had been reported missing on Thursday, September 17, prompting a search involving ground teams, air resources, air-scent K9 units, mountain rescue personnel and partner agencies.

The sheriff’s office said a helicopter crew eventually located Kalapaca, who was “not moving and was deceased when found.”

Due to the difficult terrain where his body was located, a helicopter from North Cascades National Park was deployed to recover his remains.

The Sauk Mountain Trail was temporarily closed during the search operation but was reopened after Kalapaca’s body was found.

Andy Kalapaca, believed to be Peter’s son, thanked the search and rescue teams in a comment on the sheriff’s office’s Facebook post.

“Thank you SAR teams. Not the outcome we hoped, but Dad is home now … We are fortunate he didn’t suffer and that his last steps were doing something he very much enjoyed rather than a hospice bed,” he wrote.