Couple Rescued From Grand Teton Blizzard
Published: September 3, 2003
A couple who spent two nights in a late-summer blizzard near the summit of Grand Teton was rescued after they began their descent and the husband was injured in a fall.
Joe and Beth Hestick set out Thursday to climb the 13,772-foot peak, according to Grand Teton National Park officials. The Bridgeport, W.Va., couple was high on the route Friday when the storm deposited 2 feet of snow on the summit.
They stayed in a cave until conditions improved Sunday, but Joe Hestick fell more than 50 feet as they made their way down.
Mountain guide Jim Williams called rangers by cellular phone after hearing cries for help and climbed to reach the Hesticks, who were at 12,100 feet. He administered first aid until rescuers arrived about an hour after his call.
Joe Hestick, 47, was flown off the mountain and taken to a Jackson hospital, where he was in fair condition Tuesday.
Williams helped Beth Hestick, 48, to a lower elevation. She was flown off the mountain Monday because she was dehydrated and had swollen feet and was treated at a hospital.
Park officials reported helping several other climbers who were caught in the storm. They said it is not unusual for high-elevation weather to turn wintry during the late summer and early fall.
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