• Rescuers reach two missing snowboarders on Mount Rainier

    A pair of snowboarders trapped on Washington's Mount Rainier are forced to spend another day in a snow cave as they wait for rescuers. KING's Teresa Yuan reports.

    By NBC News staff

    Updated at 7:50 p.m. ET: Authorities on Tuesday morning reached two stranded snowboarders, who were lost Sunday in a blizzard on Washington state's Mount Rainier.

    The two men, 21-year-old Derek Tyndall and 20-year-old Thomas Dale, were evaluated and officials say they're able to walk, Seattle's NBC affiliate KING 5 reported.


    After being found at the lower end of the mountain's Paradise Glacier, Tyndall and Dale arrived with rescuers at the park's Longmire headquarters around 3:30 p.m. PT, according to Kevin Bacher, spokesman for Mount Rainier National Park. The two reportedly appear to be in very good health conditions and reunited with nearby family Tuesday afternoon, Bacher said.

    On Monday evening, low visibility and dangerous conditions forced searchers to pause their efforts in finding Tyndall and Dale. The two snowboarders called 911 on Sunday afternoon to report they'd gotten lost in a winter storm, while descending from Camp Muir on Mount Rainier. The two had winter gear, a compass and smartphones, but no overnight gear.

    Tyndall and Dale were able to check in with officials by cell phone Monday morning to report they were in good condition and stayed in a snow cave Sunday night. Their cell phone battery has died since.

    While authorities were unsuccessful in finding them Monday, there was a glimmer of hope. Search teams reportedly saw two individuals in good condition a half-mile away and heard voices, according to KING 5.

    Because of the nature of the terrain and eventual loss of daylight, crews couldn't reach them Monday evening.

    "It is really, really hard to pull out without having them with us. But they’re resourceful kids," Kevin Bacher, spokesman for Mount Rainier National Park told KING 5 on Monday.

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    Bacher told NBC News Tuesday morning that a team of 30 people resumed the search at around 8:30 a.m. PT. The searchers included National Park Service rangers, as well as mountain rescue volunteers from Tacoma, Olympia and Seattle.

    Conditions remained similar Tuesday, keeping the progress slow, Bacher said, and crews had to break trails through deep, fresh snow. Visibility remained low at around 200 yards, Bacher added.

    The two individuals authorities spotted Monday matched the description of Derek and Thomas, according to Bacher.

    "They’re going to make it down," Derek's father Rod Tyndall had told KING 5. "I have no doubt in my mind."

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