Search for snowshoer hampered by weather

Search crews looking for a Lynnwood-area man who may have been buried in an avalanche on Mount Rainier have narrowed their search area down to about 3,000 square feet but don't expect to find the man before Friday, when the weather clears.

Kirk Reiser, 22, disappeared Tuesday after he and his best friend left Paradise to go on a snowshoeing day trip to Camp Muir, which is about a five-mile hike, said Mount Rainier National Park spokesman Kevin Bacher. The two had to turn back when they were about halfway there because of high winds and bad conditions.

One of the men triggered an avalanche at about 1:30 p.m., said Bacher, and then Reiser disappeared into the snow.

His friend and hiking partner, 23-year-old Troy Metcalf, also of the Lynnwood area, searched for him for hours. Metcalf returned to Paradise at dusk and reported his friend's disappearance to park-service rangers.

Based on his friend's information, searchers think Reiser could be about a mile out of Paradise near Edith Creek Basin.

Seventeen rescuers searched for Reiser Wednesday, along with two avalanche search dogs, and were able to locate the general area where they expect to find him. A smaller search crew is expected to continue looking today, but a larger search-and-rescue operation will have to wait until Friday, when it looks like the weather may clear, Bacher said.

"The extent to which we are able to search really depends on those conditions," said Bacher.

Mountain rangers may work with avalanche-control crews from Crystal Mountain on Friday to make the area safer, he said.

Bacher said a person buried in an avalanche has about a 30-minute survival window. After that, the chances of surviving are slim but not impossible, he said.

"One of the things that may increase the chances is that we don't know for sure that he was buried by an avalanche," said Bacher. "It is conceivable that they [the men] may have been swept apart."

Rescuers are hoping Reiser was able to make a snow cave for overnight shelter. He was equipped with food and water but was not carrying overnight supplies.

Seattle Times reporter Brian Alexander contributed to this report.

Christina Siderius: csiderius@seattletimes.com