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Body Of Missing UCLA Grad Student Found Buried Under Avalanche
The body of UCLA grad student Michael David Meyers was found buried in an avalanche near Mount Whitney on Saturday (via Facebook)
The search for a missing UCLA grad student came to a sad end over the weekend as his body was discovered near Mount Whitney, buried under an avalanche.Michael David Meyers, a 25-year-old grad student in the physics department, told his roommate on November 5 that he was going to climb Mount Russell, a peak less than a mile from Mount Whitney in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. On Saturday a search-and-rescue team discovered his body in the snow using sonar technology.
Meyers suffered "massive injuries" including broken bones as a result of his fall. "It's like being in a head-on accident at 100 mph," Inyo County Sheriff William Lutze told the L.A. Times.
Meyers was expected to return to school on November 9. When he failed to show up, his family reported him missing, according to the Daily Bruin.
On November 18, a local spotted his SUV parked under heavy snow on a service road. Being the experienced outdoorsman, Meyers drew up an itinerary for his travel, which the search-and-rescue crew used in their search. On Friday, a helmet and beanie were found below the site of the avalanche, which authorities believe belonged to Meyers.
A severe storm hit the John Muir Wilderness in Inyo National Forest when Meyers was in the area, with heavy snow and subzero temperatures. "The winds have been upwards of 100 miles per hour in that area over the Sierra Crest," Sheriff Lutze told KTLA. Family members say Meyers had been in the area before.
In a statement, UCLA said, "We join together in offering our deepest condolences to all of Michael's family and friends."
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