Fallen Bend climber mourned by friends, co-workers

One day after searchers found and recovered the body of an avid Bend mountain climber from the snowy slopes of the Middle Sister, his employer at a popular downtown Bend restaurant shared a few memories of the adventurous, popular outdoorsman.

Ben Newkirk “worked to live,” Cheri Helt of Zydeco said Monday

Helt, who declined to appear on-camera, said Newkirk, 39, saved up for big adventures, like hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and climbing some of America’s tallest peaks.

She said the experienced, smart climber was easy to schedule, because he got along with everyone — and he was the kind of person that others would “anxiously await” his return when he went on big trips.

Helt told NewsChannel 21 they are looking for a way to honor his life, and let his legacy live on.

An Oregon Army National Guard helicopter search crew spotted Newkirk’s body late Sunday morning on the Middle Sister, four days after the avid, experienced climber apparently fell 800-900 feet near the summit of the 10,047-foot peak.

Around 10 a.m. Sunday, the CH -47 Chinook helicopter crew based in Pendleton located Newkirk, who apparently fell to his death at about the 9,500-foot level during a nighttime descent ahead of an advancing storm that stymied initial search efforts, authorities said.

Newkirk was climbing Middle Sister with a fellow climber when he fell from the west side of the mountain’s southeast ridge about 10 p.m. last Wednesday.

Sunday’s search included 15 volunteers from Eugene and Corvallis mountain rescue units, two incident command staff in Bend assisting with communications, and more command staff managing the mission from Eugene, said Lane County sheriff’s Sgt. Carrie Carver.

Knowledge of the mountain terrain, as well as aerial surveillance helped to locate Newkirk, who Carver said was found about 800 to 900 feet below where he fell.

“The CH-47 crew spotted him early on and were instrumental in keeping the mission time to one day on the mountain,” said John Miller, Lane County search and rescue coordinator.”

Once Newkirk was found, search and rescue personnel performed a technical recovery, using ropes and other gear, to transport the body just over a half-mile to a location where he could be taken to Eugene and a medical examiner’s office.

A break in the weather Saturday had allowed the search to resume in earnest. But an Oregon Air National Guard helicopter crew saw no clues from the air, nor did ground searchers who reached his base camp.

On Saturday, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue volunteers were finally able to reach Newkirk’s base camp at Camp Lake, after days of snow, wind and freezing rain kept them away, Miller said. However, he said, it was apparent he had not returned to camp.

Meanwhile, an Oregon Air National Guard Black Hawk helicopter was able to fly two search missions into the area where Newkirk was last seen, near the summit. But “no clues were located from the air,” Miller said.

Earlier Saturday, Lane and Deschutes County search and rescue units asked the public to stay out of the area as high-resolution aerial and satellite photography was being coordinated to identify the best areas to search for Newkirk.

Miller said that with the area being evaluated from the air, people who encroach into the area could leave misleading clues that would hamper efforts to find Newkirk, while also putting searchers at added risk.

Avalanche danger in the search area was high, due to heavy snowfall in recent days, Miller said.

As a powerful storm packing heavy snow and freezing rain moved through the area, attempts were unsuccessful all day Thursday to reach the area of the accident. The team was able to hike in seven miles and reach the 6,200 foot level before they were pushed back to the Obsidian Trailhead by high winds and white-out conditions, Carver said.

On Friday, the Oregon Air National Guard flew a fixed-wing plane over the area to check on weather conditions before they launched a full helicopter crew, Miller said.

The second climber, whom authorities did not identify, was safe and helping rescue crews with information, she added.

Newkirk “was said to be well-equipped and experienced,” according to Miller, but he apparently had “marginal” gear for winter survival.

Miller also said late Friday that Newkirk had both a cellphone and an emergency locator beacon — but the phone turned off earlier Wednesday evening, around 6:30, and the beacon never activated.

Just about every photo on Newkirk’s public Facebook page shows him enjoying the view while scaling many of the region’s popular peaks. He is a 1994 graduate of Cheney, Wash., High School, where he grew up, KXLY in Spokane reported.