Four missing climbers were found safe on Mount Baker in northwest Washington state after spending a night in freezing temperatures.
A local hospital spokeswoman confirmed that two 13-year-old Boy Scouts and two adults were rushed to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in serious condition with severe hypothermia Monday afternoon and were later transferred to another hospital, The Bellingham Herald reported.
The climbers were part of a Boy Scout troop from Seattle that went hiking at the 10,781-foot volcano on Sunday.
They reportedly disappeared when the group was attempting to climb to the volcano’s peak on its north face but, when the four did not return by nightfall, a search and rescue operation was launched, Fox News said.
Deputy Mark Jilk, who helps manage search and rescue operations for the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office, said the missing climbers were rescued from a site near the summit of the volcano by a Navy helicopter.
He described the overnight conditions as "cold and snowy," The Bellingham Herald noted.
The missing climbers reportedly took shelter from the bitter cold in a cave while rescuers continued to search for them through the night.
"Success! 4 people now safe, warm & being cared for at St Joes," Whatcom County Search & Rescue posted to Twitter on Monday.
Unfortunately, not every search for missing climbers ends with a happy ending.
Last month Japanese climber Nobukazu Kuriki, 36, lost his life on Mount Everest, raising this month’s death toll on the mountain to three.
The incident was Kuriki’s eighth attempt to conquer the peak of on the world’s highest mountain.
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