Lost Snowboarders Rescued From Rainier
Two snowboarders lost on Mount Rainier Sunday were pulled from the mountain Tuesday morning by a multi-agency rescue team.
Derek Tyndall, 21, and Thomas "Goober" Dale, 20, were coming down the mountain after a snowboarding trip Sunday when they became trapped in a whiteout at 7,500 feet.
The young men, who had been friends since childhood, spent the first night in a snow cave. Rescuers spotted Tyndall and Dale on Monday, but were unable to reach them due to falling snow and high winds. Monday night, the two slept in a snow cave they dug themselves. They survived on a bag of Ritz crackers and drank water from a mountain stream.
The next day, the rescue crews finally reached the duo.
"It was just a matter of willpower, just wanting to survive..." Dale said in an interview with King5.
Despite their two harrowing nights, the young men were still in good spirits and joked in the interview about how they stayed warm in freezing conditions.
"There was a little bit of spooning," said Tyndall.
"Yeah, not gonna lie," Dale said, laughing.