Colorado climber dies in Washington's North Cascades

NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK, Wash. — A Colorado climber has died in a mountaineering accident in North Cascades National Park.

Craig Luebben, 49, of Golden, Colo., was an accomplished climber and Mount Everest guide.

The National Park Service says Luebben and his climbing partner Guillermo Benegas of Sandy were approaching the southeast face of Mount Torment on Sunday when a piece of ice broke off, taking Luebben with it.

He fell about 40 feet and was critically injured by falling ice.

His climbing partner managed to move Luebben to a ledge and call for help on a cell phone. However, Ranger Kelly Bush says Luebben died before he could be rescued. Bush says neither climber did anything wrong, calling them both "highly skilled, on top of their game."

National Park Service rangers brought the two men out by helicopter.