A West Hartford man's body was recovered after authorities say he was killed in an avalanche in Washington state last week.
The avalanche reportedly swept climbers 500 feet down the Northeast Couloir of Colchuck Peak, according to the Chelan County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriffs said six people were climbing Colchuck Peak when an avalanche occurred near Colchuck Lake and three of the six climbers were killed.
The sheriff’s office identified the Connecticut man who died as Seong Cho, a 54-year-old Korean national who was living in West Hartford. Authorities said his body was recovered from the base of Colchuck Peak.
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Friday was the first day weather conditions allowed air resources to fly into the area. Officials said a helicopter rescue team was able to find Cho's body under a thin layer of snow at GPS coordinates provided to them.
Yun Park, a 66-year-old man from Palisades Park, New Jersey; and 60-year-old Jeannie Lee, of Bayside, New York also died during the avalanche, according to the sheriff’s office. The rescue team said they haven't yet been able to locate their bodies.
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The sheriff's office said another climber was injured but made it back down to base camp with the other two climbers.
Nearly two dozen rescuers responded to the scene. Initially, they said conditions were too hazardous to continue rescue efforts.
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