Skier still missing near Snoqualmie, search suspended

A week after a backcountry skier was reported missing near the Snoqualmie Summit a search for him resumed, but was suspended shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday

The search for skier Monty Busbee was near Commonwealth Basin and Kendall Trees, and crews started at daylight Saturday. Crews continued until darkness.

"There's always hope, there's always hope,” said Bob Coleman, with Seattle Mountain Rescue.

He led roughly 30 volunteers, who showed up from King and Snohomish Counties to help the search for Busbee on Saturday. Still, the search and rescue vehicles returned to the command post on Saturday night without finding the missing skier.

On Saturday, KIRO 7 asked if the mission was rescue or recovery.

"Today it's a mission based on recovery,” said Coleman.

A spokesperson for the King County Sheriff said crews won’t resume the search until the snow level drops.

Las Sunday, Dec. 20, the search had been called off for the Maple Valley man because the avalanche danger was too great. They didn't want to risk the lives of the 30 volunteers and four teams of dogs who spent the day looking for him.

Busbee's girlfriend says he left home at 10 a.m. Saturday morning and planned to ski alone near the Kendall Tree area in the Commonwealth Basin at Snoqualmie Summit. When he didn't return home by 7:45 Saturday night, she reported him missing.  

Searchers looked for him Saturday night and most of Sunday. And they found some skiers who remembered seeing him at about 1:30 p.m. on the Saturday he went skiing. But there was no trace of Busbee.