Oregon Climber’s Body Recovered

The body of a climber who fell 600 feet to his death on Three Fingered Jack a week ago has been recovered.

Searchers brought the body of Karl Roy Iwen, 27, off the mountain about 5 p.m. Saturday, Linn County Sheriff Dave Burright said.

Iwen was descending the mountain, located in the central Oregon Cascades about 20 miles northwest of Sisters, with two other climbers Oct. 26 when he fell off a ledge and plunged into a bowl rimmed by steep rock.

The Salem, Ore., man’s body was spotted the next day, but searchers were unable to reach him. A total of 21 rescuers, using helicopters and horses, assisted in the recovery effort.

Iwen wasn’t secured to a rock face with ropes when he fell from a narrow ledge about 200 feet below the summit, according to one of the two climbers who had accompanied Iwen up the mountain after meeting him for the first time earlier in the day.

One of the men, Duncan McNeill of Bend, Ore., said it was apparent Iwen didn’t have much climbing experience but that he had negotiated the most technically difficult parts of the climb when the accident occurred.

Iwen’s body was taken to a funeral chapel in Sweet Home, Ore. His body will be taken back to his family in Wisconsin for burial.