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Published October 28, 2026 7:28 PM CDT
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FILE - General views of Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the contiguous U.S., against the Alabama Hills rock formations, a wide area filming location for hundreds of iconic Hollywood Western films and TV shows on September 22, 2024 in Lone Pin
The body of a missing hiker was recovered on Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the Lower 48, by a helicopter rescue team, the Inyo County Sheriff's Office said Monday.
Officials said rescuers battled snow and ice to recover the body from a remote area Sunday after storms delayed initial rescue attempts over a week from when the body was first located on Oct. 20.
FILE - Sierra Nevada from the Owens Valley. Mt. Whitney is the castellated peak just right of center. (Photo by: Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The sheriff's office said the hiker was reported as overdue by motel staff in Lone Pine, California, on Oct. 19 and were unable to reach him through the department's Rapid Deploy messaging system, a 911 dispatch service that can help locate lost hikers when they have a cellphone.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, 2.47 inches of rain fell in the area between Oct. 18 and 19, with low temperatures dropping to around freezing.
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The sheriff's department said they were able to locate the hiker's vehicle on Oct. 20 at the Whitney Portal, about 13 miles east of Lone Pine and one of the main trailheads for the mountain.
A California Highway Patrol helicopter found the body later that day along the Mountaineer’s Route, but storms that moved into the area prevented recovery operations until Oct. 25.
A specialized county search and rescue team had to hike in from Iceberg Lake, battling icy conditions, to reach the body, which was found covered in snow at an elevation of 13,600 feet. The team was met by a CHP helicopter, which airlifted the body off the mountain, while the team hiked back down the trail, officials said.
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The sheriff's department confirmed the hiker had obtained a permit to climb the mountain for Oct. 18.
Lone Pine Peak, center, elevation 12,949 feet, and Mount Whitney, far right, the highest mountain in the contiguous United States and the Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of 14,505 feet, are located on the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountain rang
The hiker's identity has not been released.
Mount Whitney’s summit is 14,505 feet above sea level, according to the National Park Service.
This is a developing story. Stick with FOX Weather as more details become available.
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