Bill Hearne Died May 7th Climbing Denali

Bill Hearne died May 7th climbing Denali, the Alaskan peak that is the tallest mountain in North America.  The picture below and the following text is from the expedition blog. http://may12009denali.blogspot.com/2009/05/news-from-mountain.html We are profoundly saddened by the sudden and unexpected death of one of our mountaineering team members on Thursday. William (Bill) Hearne, age 61, was a participant on an eight climber team attempting the West Buttress route on Denali, which consisted of two Mountain Trip guides and six clients. On Thursday, May 7, 2009, the team carried loads of supplies from their camp at 11,200 feet, up and around a feature known as Windy Corner to deposit their loads in a buried cache site at about 13,500 feet. Bill moved well throughout the morning and seemed healthy and in good spirits at a rest stop at Windy Corner. Shortly after climbing above Windy Corner, at approximately 4:00 pm Alaska Time, he collapsed near the cache site. Cardio pulmonary resuscitation was immediately performed by the two guides with assistance from a medically trained firefighter on the team. Further assistance was provided by two National Park Service rangers who happened on the scene. CPR was performed for over 30 minutes, but Bill never regained a pulse. Two advanced medical personnel (a nurse and a paramedic) from the NPS camp at 14,200 feet arrived at 4:40 pm and shortly thereafter, after telephone consultation with the park’s physician sponsor, Bill was pronounced deceased of apparent natural causes. Bill came to Denali with years of mountaineering experience, including over a dozen ascents above 14,000 feet. He was an avid runner, personal trainer, and cycling instructor, having run over 50 marathons or ultra marathons. The team and NPS personnel secured Bill’s body at a suitable helicopter landing zone at 13,500 feet in preparation for an evacuation. The Mountain Trip team is back at their 11,200 foot camp. Our deepest sympathies are extended to Bill’s family and friends. Bill is survived by his wife Deven and 3 adult children. -- posted by Bill Allen More photos from Denali.. .