REVEALED: Expert mountaineer, 42, who died on Washington state volcano SURVIVED ... trends now
An experienced mountaineer initially survived a 1,200-foot fall from the peak of Mount St. Helens into an avalanche only to die while scrambling to climb out.
The body of Roscoe 'Rocky' Shorey, 42, was found on March 29 after he plummeted into the hole when a shelf of snow he was standing on apparently broke.
After the chunk of snow tumbled down, Shorey tried to grip onto edge of the cornice - but he couldn't hold on and ended up being buried by snow.
Despite desperately trying to climb up the icy vertical wall surrounding him, the expert mountaineer didn't make it.
He was wearing only snowboard boots, synthetic pants and a lightweight long-sleeve shirt, according to Oregon Live.
Roscoe 'Rocky' Shorey, an experienced mountaineer, survived a 1,200-foot fall from the peak of Mount St. Helens into an avalanche only to die while scrambling to climb out
The body of Shorey, 42, was found on March 29 after he plummeted into the hole when a shelf of snow he was standing on apparently broke
Despite desperately trying to climb up the icy vertical wall surrounding him, the expert mountaineer didn't make it
The Washougal man's belongings, including his jacket, cellphone, SOS satellite device and backpack were all at the top of the crater that he fell from - where he was documenting his adventures just moments before.
Shorey's friends and the mountaineering community were rocked by his sudden death.
Known for his love of adventure, friendships and dessert - his friends and family flocked to Facebook to share heartfelt tributes and pictures of them enjoying his favorite dessert... a Dairy Queen Blizzard.
The expedition that ultimately killed him was his 28th summit of the mountain.
He had previously accomplished a climb to the top of Mount Hood, a far more difficult challenge, more than 40 times.
The adventurer had accomplished challenging climbs all across the world.
His death was announced on March 30 and officials accompanied the tragic news with a warning to climbers to stay away from the edge of Mount St. Helens crater because cornices can randomly give way.
The men who recovered his body identified that Shorey had survived his initial fall, but died during his attempt to escape.
'He gave it everything he could to survive,' said Derek Langdon, who coordinated the operation to retrieve Shorey's body. 'We were all thinking, like, 'Who is this guy, who is this person?'
