Body recovered after avalanche in Washington; search 2 others continues

LEAVENWORTH, Wash. — A hiker’s body was found Friday following an avalanche in Washington last weekend. Rescue crews are continuing to search for two other hikers.

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In a news release, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said that on Friday, a body was found at the bottom of Colchuck Peak following an avalanche. The body was identified as Seong Cho, a Korean national who lives in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Cho, 54, was one of three hikers who went missing following an avalanche last weekend, according to KIRO.

“Today was the first-day weather conditions allowed air resources to fly into the area,” the sheriff’s office said on Friday. The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office Helicopter Rescue Team was able to find Cho’s body Friday and it was located under a thin layer of snow in an area where another hiker in Cho’s group had directed rescue crews to.

The rescue team tried to find the other two hikers -- Jeannie Lee, 60, and Yun Park, 66 -- but were unsuccessful, according to KIRO.

Cho’s body has been turned over to the Chelan County Coroner’s Office, according to KIRO.

KIRO reported that this avalanche was the deadliest in the United State this winter so far and it is also the deadliest avalanche since 2014.

No further information has been released. The investigation is ongoing.