The bodies of three mountaineers who died on a difficult climb near Squamish, B.C., earlier this year have been recovered.
Squamish Search and Rescue manager B.J. Chute confirmed the bodies were transported out of Garibaldi Provincial Park on Monday.
“Members of Squamish Search and Rescue worked with the RCMP this morning to recover the bodies of three individuals in the Atwell Peak area,” Chute said in a statement. “The task has been turned over to the RCMP and the (B.C. Coroners Service).”
The mountaineers set out to scale Atwell Peak – a technical climb at high elevation – in late May but didn’t make it back.
Search crews previously said the mountaineers were experienced climbers who were likely carrying the appropriate equipment for their expedition.
Challenging weather conditions set in during their climb, which, along with heightened avalanche risk, hampered rescue efforts for the first several days of the search.
Authorities have not provided any further details on what potentially happened to the mountaineers.
Sea to Sky RCMP said the names of the climbers will not be released, and that their families have asked for privacy.