Searchers Locate Body of Climber John Arum

(AP)  Searchers spotted the body of the son of Hall of Fame boxing promoter Bob Arum on a rugged Washington state mountainside Friday afternoon, five days after they began looking for him in North Cascades National Park, authorities said.

The body belonging to John Arum, an experienced mountain climber, was seen from a National Park Service helicopter at about the 7,700-foot level of the 8,500-foot Storm King mountain, park spokeswoman Kerry Olson said.

Previous flights had been made in this area, but recent snow melt made it possible to locate the 49-year-old Seattle environmental attorney's body on Friday, she said.

It wasn't possible to either reach or retrieve the body, but Olson said it was clear to searchers in the helicopter that Arum was dead.

"There was no doubt of that," she said, adding it appeared that Arum had fallen.

The search began Monday after Arum failed to return from a solo weekend trip to climb the mountain, which family members said was part of his goal of reaching the summit of the 100 highest peaks in the state.

"His plan was to climb Storm King on Saturday, so it's probably a safe assumption that he fell that day," Olson said.

Arum's larger backpack was found Wednesday on a trail on the mountain's less arduous south side, Olson said. His small day pack was found Thursday and Olson said his body was found about 300 feet below that spot in an extremely steep area with a lot of loose rock.

About 20 people, some using trained search dogs, were out earlier Friday, along with four helicopters, two of them King County sheriff's aircraft with heat-seeking equipment. Counting coordinators and support workers, about 50 people were involved in the search, Olson said.

National Park Service workers were trying to develop a plan to recover the body, which is in an area so difficult "that people can't rappel down or climb up to it," she said.

Friday's weather was clear, with temperatures in the 80s. However, the National Weather Service has forecast that clouds will move in with a chance of rain Saturday.

Earlier this week, Bob Arum left Los Angeles to join park rangers coordinating the effort. He had been on a three-city tour promoting the Nov. 13 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. His stepson, Todd duBoef, took over the tour that also stopped in New York and Dallas.

[ellen1956]

Although I have sympathy for his family, what possible sense does it make to attempt such a climb on your own? We've had the grisly story of the solo climber who had to amputate his own arm. We've had the story of three climbers who died climbing without adequately checking impending weather. This puts the climbers and those assigned to rescue them in peril. It's a selfish, selfish act.

[superdem1]

I have no sympathy for people who die climbing mountains. They did it to themselves, throwing their precious lives away doing a stupid, self-indulgent thing fraught with danger. They should have volunteered at a hospital or adopted a handicapped kid if they wanted a real challenge. There's an expression "too stupid to live." It's even worse when someone is rescued, and they just do it again.

[HikerDan]

You wouldn't undrestand. Just stop calling names people who, unlike you, know the true color of the sky. They don't need your sympathy, by the way. They can care less about what your pedestrian passive-aggressive mind will come with. Do us all the favor - just shut your f$%#@! up.

[cbs4111]

CBS - Hire some fact checkers. Mount Storm King is 4537 feet tall, not 8500 feet tall. In fact, the tallest mountain in the Olympic Mountain range, Mt. Olympus, isn't 8500 feet tall.

[louploup2]

Please pay attention: Mount Storm King in question is in the North Cascades, not the Olympics.

[alancontact]

So, they are going to risk more lives retrieving the body? Why not just leave it there since it has no further use? Seems like a decent resting place for him.

[mstrofpain]

The article says, "The body belonging to John Arum ...." Well, who else would it "belong" to? And does a body really "belong" to anyone? Does the body, like a trunk in an attic, "belong" to anyone? Why didn't the writer write that "Searchers found the body of John Arum, ...."?

[jimbryho]

dude. don't analyze it so much.

[canislupus16]

When I read story I thought the same thing. I don't think this is the first time I've seen it written this way, but still odd.