Body of climber found on mountain

Searchers found the body of Martina Testa, 36, of Albany, on Wednesday, July 8, at the 8,900-foot level of the North Sisters.

According to Deschutes County Sheriff's Search and Rescue, Testa, carrying full camp gear, apparently lost her footing and slid down Thayer glacier, hitting a rock outcropping and falling farther to her death.

The woman's body was located by Deschutes County Search and Rescue veteran Bill Good, who was acting as an observer aboard an Oregon Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter. According to Rick Meyers, sheriff's department spokesman, the helicopter crew from the National Guard's 1042nd Medivac Group landed under hazardous conditions to recover the body.

Their actions eliminated the need for a dangerous descent from the glacier by a Deschutes County SAR climbing team, Meyers noted.

Testa was reported overdue from her attempt on the North Sister on Sunday night, July 6. The woman's friends reportedly told rescuers that she was not an experienced climber.