CHIMACUM — Ryan Tillman, Mike Berry’s longtime climbing partner, recalled the morning of their Mount Rainier climb on Saturday that ended with his friend and colleague falling to his death.
“I am not very sure what happened,” Tillman said.
“I did not see Mike fall. I heard him hit the snow. He slid in front of me and quickly went out of my sight.”
Beery, 29, of Port Angeles, was climbing with Tillman to the mountain’s summit when he fell about 950 feet down a 50-degree slope near the Gibraltar Ledges on a popular route to the summit.
On park rangers’ recommendation, the two climbers had not tethered themselves together because a potential fall is considered unstoppable.
Sided by fellow firefighters, Tillman, deeply affected, told the story in a quiet voice during a news conference held Tuesday at Chimacum Fire Station.
“I immediately started after him,” he said.
“The terrain was pretty difficult. I climbed down into the snow. The distance was about 950 feet below where he fell into the snow field. It took me a long time — longer than I thought it should have — about 35 minutes.”
Berry was unconscious
Tillman found Beery unconscious and not breathing. Not able to feel a pulse, Tillman said he had to check his own pulse to see if his fingers remained sensitive in the cold.
Leaving the most personal details of the tragedy to himself, Tillman recalled a few emotions he felt.
“Initially, I was very disbelieving that Mike had fallen,” he said.
“It happened in a few seconds. In a blink of an eye, my disbelief changed to an absolute terror.”
