Oregon Public Broadcasting

A helicopter from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island has recovered the body of climber who fell into the crater of Mount St. Helens Monday.

Poor weather had hampered earlier efforts to rescue or retrieve the Kelso, Washington man. Tom Banse reports.

Sheriff's deputies say 52-year-old Joseph Bohlig was standing on a snow overhang to have his picture taken when the cornice gave way.

This May 2007 photo shows a cornice crack on Mount St. Helens, near where a Kelso climber fell on Monday.

The climber tumbled down at least a thousand vertical feet from the crater rim.

Mount St. Helens monument scientist Peter Frenzen says it's often hard to tell where the rim ends and unsupported snow begins. Yet the temptation to peer over the edge is strong.Peter Frenzen: “A lot of times, I myself have pointed out where people were – and I've seen other climbers pointing out to others – you know, ‘Hey, look out. Look what you're on.' Or more often, ‘look what you're not on.'”The only other time someone fell into the crater was in 2008. A snow cornice gave way under a dismounted snowmobiler.

That man survived the plunge in an avalanche and was rescued a few hours later by helicopter.

Snowmobiling and hiking on the upper mountain reopened in 2006 after the end of a dome building eruption.