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Climber missing at Mount Rainier park near 2014 tragedy site

| June 29, 2020 10:52 AM

A climber missing since Friday while travelling through treacherous terrain at Mount Rainier National Park marks the third person to go missing at the Washington park in a little more than a week.

Seattle resident Matthew Bunker was descending the mountain on skis with a partner when he is believed to have fallen in steep terrain, according to park officials.

The area where he went missing is known for its frequent avalanches and is near the site of a 2014 tragedy that killed six climbers. Officials said those conditions prevented using ground teams to search for a Bunker, and a helicopter search was hampered by bad weather and unable to locate him.

Searchers also are looking for Vincent Djie, 25, an Indonesian student living in Seattle who went missing while hiking June 19, and Talan Sabbagh, 27, of Seattle, who was last seen a week ago.

Park officials say they do not want help from volunteer or independent search teams because of treacherous spring conditions that could put searchers at risk.