



The body of a climber who fell into the crater at Mt. St. Helens in Washington state has been recovered, reports the Oregonian.

Rescuers were holding out hope that Joseph Bohlig, 52, from Kelso, Wash., was still alive after the ledge of snow he was standing on gave way, sending him sliding about 1,500 feet into the crater Monday afternoon.

Overnight temperatures at the crater fell into the 20s, and dense fog and rain shrouded Mt. St. Helens this morning, hampering rescue efforts, said David Cox, Skamania County undersheriff.

Witnesses said Bohlig's body, which was discovered at 2:40 p.m. on a steep slope on the south crater wall, was nearly buried in the snow, and rescuers had to use shovels to uncover it before loading it into the Navy helicopter used for the rescue effort.