On the morning of July 2, Yeonil Lim (56), an avid Korean hiker, was unable to make it back home while climbing Split Mountain with a married Korean couple who were his acquaintances.
Around 4 p.m., while descending from the summit at an altitude of 14,000 feet, they encountered an avalanche and sustained injuries. The couple managed to continue with minor bruises, but Lim was immobilized due to a possible intracranial hemorrhage and rib fracture.
Following the accident, they used a Beacon wireless communication device to call for help.
However, due to the high altitude and concerns about a secondary avalanche, the rescue helicopter was unable to reach Lim’s location. As weather conditions worsened, the Korean couple provided Lim with clothing and water, as he was unable to move due to his injuries, and they descended themselves.
Lim, still conscious at the time, reportedly asked the Korean couple to “pray for me so I can make it down” as they were descending. Seven hours later, rescuers found Lim dead around 11 p.m. that night.
Lim, an avid hiker since college, was a seasoned mountaineer with 30 years of experience in the Himalayas, according to his family.
Adding to the tragedy, three Korean climbers who had died in an avalanche in Washington’s Cascade Mountains earlier this year had been dramatically rescued by Lim when they faced a similar situation last year.
“The three people who died knew my husband very well, and before climbing the mountain where the accident happened earlier this year, they suggested he join them,” said Lim’s wife, Ms. Seo (56). “However, my husband, who had rescued them last year, insisted it was too dangerous to hike, and in the end, those who climbed the mountain earlier this year faced tragedy.”
Seo expressed that the accident was especially devastating for her husband, who had always been very cautious about safety in the mountains.
“The Korean couple, who had moved from New York City, had gotten to know each other through several hikes with my husband,” Seo said. “This time, they asked him to join them, and he accepted and drove himself.”
“I understand the circumstances, but it breaks my heart to think that my injured husband died alone,” Seo said, breaking down in tears.
Furthermore, the family had to face the reality of paying for the funeral before they could even grieve the loss of their husband and father.
Lim, who had been the head of a gaming company in South Korea, immigrated to the U.S. in 2011 after closing his business and worked for seven years at an LA financial firm before being laid off during the pandemic. Lim later worked at Walmart but left in June when his department was eliminated.
His daughter, Soyeon Lim, set up the GoFundMe page on July 4 and began collecting donations. “The only thing that brought him excitement in his difficult life in the U.S. was going to the mountains,” she said, adding, “I once told him, ‘If you love the mountains so much, live in the mountains,’ and he actually took his last breath in the mountains.”
As of 2 p.m. on July 7, the page, which has a goal of $20,000, has raised $13,600, with 85 people pledging to help.
Donation link: gofundme.com/f/snowslide-accident-that-took-away-our-dad
BY SUAH JANG [support@koreadaily.com]
