The body of Mount Rainier National Park ranger Nick Hall was recovered today from the side of the mountain where he died June 21 during a rescue of climbers. Park officials said five climbing rangers and a search dog team were flown to Hall's location at about the 11,000 feet level on the north side of the mountain on Winthrop Glacier. The operation, which began Thursday morning and included a preliminary reconnaissance flight, went smoothly and was completed in approximately two hours, officials reported. A memorial service for Hall's family is planned for this Friday in Patten, Maine, where he grew up. The recovery effort was being staged in the Sunrise area, which was closed to the public during the operation. Hall, 33, fell about 2,500 feet to his death while he and other climbing rangers and an Army helicopter crew were evacuating four climbers from Texas. The latter fell as a group, resulting in injuries to three of them. All of them made it off the mountain safely. Earlier attempts to bring Hall's body off the mountain were turned back by inclement weather and high-risk avalanche danger. Officials said the safety of people recovering the body was of the highest importance, and Hall's family agreed. Rangers marked the location of Hall and were waiting for conditions to improve.
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