SEATTLE -- Jim Wickwire flew to Boston Monday to be with the family of the climbing companion he was forced to leave behind, trapped and dying in a deep crevasse on Alaska's Mount McKinley.
Wickwire, 41, said he was forced to abandon experienced climber Chris Kerrebrock, 25, to a certain death because he was caught 'like a piece of wood in a vise' deep in the crevasse.
Both men were members of a Seattle-based expedition scheduled to attempt to climb Mount Everest in the fall of 1982.
Wickwire said Sunday he made repeated attempts to rescue Kerrebrock until it became obvious that his companion couldn't be budged from the crevasse.
Wickwire, a Seattle attorney, said Kerrebrock was sandwiched face down about 40 feet deep in the crevasse with his pack on top of him.
The climber said he talked at length with Kerrebrock before and after it became apparent his trapped companion could not be removed from the crevasse.
'It teaches you a lot about life,' said Wickwire. 'He knew he was going to die.'
Suffering an injury to his shoulder sustained when he and Kerrebrock fell into the crevasse May 8, Wickwire was stranded on the mountain for two weeks with little food before he was rescued by plane Thursday.
Wickwire and Kerrebrock were going to climb the Wickersham Wall, one of the most difficult routes up McKinley, but the accident occurred before they got to the base of the wall.
Wickwire said it was too early to evaluate, but felt that the Everest expedition will go on as scheduled. Wickwire said he is uncertain whether he will stay with the expedition.
'I'm not giving it (climbing) up,' said Wickwire. 'But I must reassess where I'm at ... in a thoughtful way.'
Kerrebrock was to have been deputy leader of the Seattle Everest expedition, which will be led by Lou Whittaker. Kerrebrock had been a guide at Mount Rainier in Washington state. He was a graduate student at Columbia University and a graduate of Oberlin College in Ohio. His parents live in Boston.
Wickwire said he and Kerrebrock were going down a 'long, gentle hill' at about the 6,700-foot level with a sled carrying supplies when Kerrebrock, who was pulling the sled, fell into the crevasse.
'The next sensation was hurtling down into the crevasse,' said Wickwire.
The sled fell on top of Kerrebrock, and Wickwire fell on top of the sled.
Wickwire spent 45 mintues climbing out of the crevasse and then tried to pull his companion out, but nothing moved. He then rigged ropes to climb back down to Kerrebrock, but he could not free him.
Wickwire radioed for help, but no one heard, probably because they were in an area surrounded by peaks.
Kerrebrock began suffering from hypothermia about five hours after the accident, Wickwire said.
He probably died sometime early Saturday, May 9, Wickwire said.
