June 12, 2009, Boulder, CO— It is with deep regret that the American team and Chinese authorities have ended the search for Micah Dash, the third missing climber, on June 12, 2009.
 
Though future efforts to locate the third climber might be possible, the uniquely hazardous location, continual avalanches, and deteriorating weather guaranteed by the approaching monsoon season have for now, eliminated any safe, successful search for Dash.

The search began for three Boulder, Colorado climbers on June 3 after they missed their flight from Chengdu, China. The three had not been heard from since they left base camp on May 20, 2009. They were attempting a new route on Mount Edgar (6,618 meters/21,712 feet) in the Minya Konka area of China's Sichuan province.
 
On June 11, 2009, the bodies of climber Jonathan Copp (35) and videographer Wade Johnson (24) were removed from a broad gulley among avalanche debris on the southeast face of Mount Edgar. The body of the third missing climber, Micah Dash (32) was not located during the week-long search. Some of his equipment however, was located at the scene and he is believed to be dead according to the search team in China.
 
The bodies of Copp and Johnson were discovered after partial emergence from fresh avalanche debris. After days of effort, the searchers agreed that frequent rock fall and near-daily avalanches made further efforts extremely dangerous. The vast search area and deposition of new avalanche debris further diminished the probability of locating Dash's body.
 
On June 5 two Sichuan Mountaineering Association (SMA) climbers, Li Zong Li and Guo Jie, discovered Copp’s body at 4,000 meters between base camp and advanced base camp. On June 7, Chinese Mountaineering Association (CMA) climbers Ci Luo and Li Fu Qing located Johnson's body in the same vicinity. The Chinese searchers were soon joined by the teams of Americans who helped with the recovery of the bodies and their belongings.
 
Searchers included Sichuan Mountaineering Association (SMA) climbers, Li Zong Li and Guo Jie; Chinese Mountaineering Association (CMA) mountaineers, Ci Luo, Yan Ding Ding, Li Fu Qing, and Zhou Peng; and professional American climbers Eric DeCaria, Nick Martino, Steve Su, and Pete Takeda. The American and Chinese climbers combined experience includes dozens of Himalayan expeditions, multiple Everest summits, plus major Patagonian and Alaskan climbs.
 
Americans Nick Rosen and Mick Follari traveled to China to help coordinate search efforts along with U.S. Consulate Section Chief Tina Onufer from Moxi, the nearest town to base camp. A team of friends coordinated logistical rescue operations from Boulder, Colorado throughout the week. All American’s involved were close friends of the three climbers.
 
A memorial service for the climbers is being planned in Boulder, Colorado though a date has yet to be set. A fund is being established in memory of the three climbers. Stay tuned to http://adventurefilm.org/ for details, up-to-date information, and to contribute to the search and recovery efforts and memorial fund.
 
We ask that you are respectful of friends and family at this time due to the sensitive nature of the situation. No other information is currently available. As soon as more information becomes available it will be shared.