TRAGIC END

Hiker Sent Final Text Before Horrific Accident

His body was recovered 72 hours later.

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A California climber sent a final text saying he was heading down a mountain hours before plunging to his death in a fatal fall. Brian Seibert, 53, messaged around 7 p.m. last Sunday after reaching the summit of 13,000-foot Mount Morgan. He failed to return, prompting Mono County Search and Rescue to launch a search the following day. Rescuers used photographs, topographic comparisons, cellphone forensics, and a search dog to track him down. A California National Guard Chinook helicopter helped deploy rescuers at 12,500 feet. On Tuesday, a helicopter crew spotted an anomaly near the bottom of Grand Central Couloir, a steep gully on the mountain’s eastern face. A team following a single set of tracks reached the location and found Seibert. However, the rugged terrain made an immediate recovery too dangerous. His body was finally retrieved early Wednesday by a Yosemite National Park helicopter and rescue crew, more than 72 hours after his final message.