Hiker sent final text before plunging 13,000ft down California peak

A missing California climber who died after an “unsurvivable” fall last week after summiting the 13,000-foot peak of Mount Morgan had sent a final text hours before his death.

Brian Seibert, 53, had sent a message around 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4, alerting that he was on his way down. But he suffered a fatal fall and was recovered more than 72 hours after plunging off a cliff ledge at the base Grand Central Couloir.

The Mono County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team responded to a report on Monday, Oct. 5, after Seibert failed to return as expected around 11:30 p.m., according to authorities.

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Investigators and local experts pieced together evidence through photo topographic matching, extensive cell phone forensics, and a K-9 search of Seibert’s vehicle.

Rescuers used a Cal Guard CH-47 Chinook to deploy rescuers at 12,500 feet to resume the search on Monday, Oct. 5.

“Just after 1400 hours [on Tuesday, Oct. 6], the Schooner crew identified an anomaly from the air near the bottom of Grand Central Couloir, which is a prominent east-facing gully off of the summit proper,” said Mono County Search and Rescue, a volunteer wilderness rescue team.

Another team which had been following a single set of tracks descending the couloir made their way to the anomaly, which turned out to be the missing climber, Seibert.

“Due to the extremely challenging nature of the terrain between Brian’s location and the nearest landing zone, it was determined that there would be insufficient time to safely complete the recovery that [Tuesday],” the rescue group said.

Seibert’s body was recovered early Wednesday by Yosemite National Park shorthaul-capable helicopter 551 and crew from YOSAR.

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