A search through wind and cold in the Mt. Whitney area for nearly a week ended when a search dog team found 73-year-old Kenneth Wade Brunette dead on the eastern slope of the mountain.

brunette_wade.jpgBrunette, a resident of Hansville, Washington, had set out for the summit of Mt. Whitney on Sunday October 25. He was reported missing on Monday. Search and Rescue teams from across the state, including Inyo and Mono Search and Rescue, started to look for Brunette on Tuesday, October 27. The effort came to a sad conclusion on Saturday, when a search dog team located the deceased man on the eastern slope of the mountain.

About 100 people, including dog teams, ground searchers, and four helicopters, participated in the search. The first days of the search effort were hampered by high winds, cold temperatures and snow.

The man was found Saturday at about 12:45 in the afternoon. At last word, the cause of death is under investigation.

Discover more from Sierra Wave: Eastern Sierra News

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading