MISSOULA, Mont. - Ravalli County Sheriff-Coroner Steve Holton said Ravalli County Search and Rescue and the Sheriff s Office responded to a fatal climbing accident near Sugarloaf Peak over the weekend. Â
During the afternoon of May 8, a group of climbers were descending the mountain when temperatures dropped significantly, causing the ice to harden.
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Winds increased covering the trail with loose soft snow and making climbing conditions severe. Bryan Louis Kercher, 55, slipped, causing him to slide approximately 1,000 feet down a steep slope before striking a large boulder and sustaining fatal injuries. Â
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Ravalli County Search and Rescue responded that evening, but because of the conditions and darkness were not able to reach the scene until the following morning. The victim was recovered on May 9 with the assistance of a Two Bear Air helicopter and Search and Rescue volunteers. Â