Ariz. woman among those trapped on Everest after quake

Jennifer Soules | The Arizona Republic

PHOENIX — After this weekend's massive Nepal earthquake and aftershocks caused severe avalanches, an Arizona woman is among those stranded on Mount Everest.

Haley Ercanbrack, 32, of Scottsdale, Ariz., was trapped at Camp 2 at an elevation of 21,000 feet, according to her friend, Pamela Hobbs of Scottsdale.

Hobbs said Ercanbrack and the rest of the team started descending to Camp 1 late Sunday night in search of better hopes of a helicopter rescue.

Her father, Utah resident Randall Ercanbrack, is safe at the Gorak Shep, a small mountaineering village about two hours from base camp.

Earthquake-triggered avalanches roared down the world's tallest peak, killing at least 18 people and trapping several others. Ercanbrack is on the mountain with Madison Mountaineering, a Seattle-based expedition group. Madison Mountaineering said the team descended safely to Camp 1. They made it to base camp Monday.

Climbers from around the globe travel to scale Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, and among those killed in the avalanche there were Google executive Daniel Fredinburg, who was part of a team from the firm attempting to create a Google street map of the trek to Everest Base Camp, and Marisa Eve Girawong, an emergency room physician's assistant serving as a base camp doctor for Madison Mountaineering.

Officials announced Monday that more than 3,700 people are confirmed dead after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Saturday.

Police in Nepal on Monday told the Associated Press that at least 3,617 people were confirmed dead. However, that figure does not include the deaths of those at Mount Everest, or the 61 people killed in India and 20 reported dead in Tibet.

According to Madison's website, which has provided updates, team members at Camp 2 and Gorak Shep are all safe, but they were rapidly running out of food and fuel. The website also included audio from a satellite phone call and a list of team members and their locations.

Almost all routes down to the lower camps were destroyed by the avalanche, and the only hope of evacuation is a helicopter rescue, the website said. The website said

Arizona residents have joined a large-scale international rescue and relief effort in the quake's aftermath.

A retired couple prepared to leave Sunday for Katmandu, Nepal's capital, to help establish communications systems. They packed their bags and prepared for a month-long stay in Nepal.

Glen and Julie Bradley, of Pinetop, Ariz., are telecommunications experts who have volunteered with the Red Cross since the days after Hurricane Katrina, when their own experience as aid recipients inspired them to volunteer for the organization.

Once they arrive, the Bradleys will be part of a small international team in charge of establishing satellite connections for radio towers and Internet access. The Bradleys will travel with equipment that will help the Nepal Red Cross and other international societies communicate with each other and coordinate recovery efforts.

"We'll provide them with the equipment they need to operate," Glen Bradley said.

The couple is familiar with the area — they were in Nepal 16 months ago establishing communications systems in case of an emergency just like this one. Several geologists and safety experts have been warning of a potential earthquake in the region, Red Cross officials said.

Julie Bradley said she and her husband won't know the true extent of the devastation until they land.

"We are steeling ourselves to find it to be pretty tough," she said.

Contributing: William Cummings, USA TODAY