Print
Close
Hiker falls up to 1,000 feet to his death day after another body found on same mountain
By Brie Stimson
Published September 26, 2026
A Washington state man fell 800 to 1,000 feet to his death while hiking last weekend, authorities said.
Gary Idleburg, 66, fell from Sauk Mountain in the Northern Cascades, northeast of Seattle, while navigating a switchback trail last Saturday, according to the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office.
Witnesses reported the Olympia native’s fall. Emergency responders attempted life-saving efforts, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
CALIFORNIA COLLEGE WRESTLING STAR RYAN GEORGE DIES AFTER 400-FOOT FALL HIKING IN YOSEMITE
Sauk Mountain Trail is seen on a clear day. (U.S. Forest Service)
Just a day earlier, a missing hiker was found dead on steep terrain on the same mountain.
He was identified as 78-year-old Peter Kalapaca, who had been missing for a day.
MISSING 70-YEAR-OLD HIKER RESCUED AFTER DISAPPEARING FOR A WEEK IN REMOTE NATIONAL PARK
The sheriff’s office said they "extend our deepest condolences to the Kalapaca family and loved ones. While nothing can lessen the loss of a loved one, we are grateful for the extraordinary effort made by everyone involved, which allows some measure of closure for the family."
Both men were found in difficult to access terrain. (U.S. Forest Service)
Idleburg was reportedly found in "difficult" terrain.
NORTH CAROLINA CLIMBER AIRLIFTED AFTER PLUNGING 20 FEET DOWN GORGE, SUSTAINING SERIOUS INJURIES
Sauk Mountain is located within Washington's Northern Cascades. (Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Kalapaca’s search operation included ground teams, air resources, air-scent K9 units, and mountain rescue personnel that worked into the evening.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Witnesses directed rescuers to where Idleburg was found after he fell.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/hiker-falls-1000-feet-death-day-after-another-body-found-same-mountain