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A Navy crew retrieves the body of Joseph Bohlig, 52, who had fallen 1,500 feet into the crater of Mt. St. Helens.

A Navy crew retrieves the body of Joseph Bohlig, 52, who had fallen 1,500 feet into the crater of Mt. St. Helens.

Climber's body recovered on Mt. St. Helens

The body of a veteran climber who fell 1,500 feet into the crater atop Mt. St. Helens was recovered Tuesday after he spent the night in the snow, authorities said.

Los Angeles Times | Published: 02/17/2010 11:22
Clouds and wind had hampered efforts to reach Joseph Bohlig, 52, who was posing for a picture Monday on the rim of the dormant crater when a snow overhang gave way and he fell.

"We're sorry that he's gone, that he didn't make it," said Richard Bohlig, the climber's 84-year-old father. "He was doing something he enjoyed very much. That's all I can say."

A Navy helicopter found Bohlig on its second pass of the day at the mountain.

The weather cleared long enough to spot his body, which had been partially covered by snowfall, Skamania County Undersheriff David Cox said.

An autopsy would be conducted to determine if Bohlig died of injuries, hypothermia or a combination of factors, Cox said.

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