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EverestNews.com has
received several reports from climbers that Galen and
Barbara Rowell had died in plane crash. Galen and
Barbara business has issued the following:
In Memoriam
Galen Rowell
August 23rd, 1940 - August 11th, 2002
Barbara Cushman Rowell
January 29th, 1948 - August 11th, 2002
Information from the
the Sheriff office is below:
On August 11, 2002 at
approximately 1:24Am a cellular phone caller reported
an aircraft apparently in trouble on his observations
of the flight pattern and then his hearing an apparent
crash. The Area was descried as south of the Bishop
airport. Sheriff's fire units along with Bishop Fire,
Symons Ambulance and California Division of Forestry
units responded supported by Bishop Police.
The wreckage of an
aircraft described as an Aero Commander was located.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB is the
agency charged with investigation of aircraft
accidents) was immediately notified and will be
responding today to investigate further.
There were apparently
no survivors. Units on the scene have located the
remains of four (4) persons at the site and the
coroner will be taking charge of those remains,
contacting the relatives and then releasing
information on the deceased. Sheriff's units remain on
the scene at this time assisting the coroner and
awaiting the arrival of the NTSB.
Information
developing during the investigation so far indicates
the flight had originated in Oakland, CA with a flight
plan filed direct to Bishop, CA. Jack Goodrich Undersheriff
Update: Monday, August 12,
2002
World-renowned
wilderness photographer and writer Galen Rowell, and
his wife and business partner Barbara Cushman Rowell,
a photographer and writer in her own right, died early
Sunday morning in an airplane crash outside of Bishop,
Calif.
The Rowells, who were
returning to their Bishop home from a circumnavigation
of the Bering Sea, were passengers in a small
privately owned plane that went down south of the
Bishop Airport. The cause of the crash remains under
investigation by NTSB and FAA officials.
The plane carried
four people and there were no survivors. Tom Reid of
Bishop piloted the plane. The fourth passenger was
Carol McAfee, also of Bishop.
Galen is survived by
two children from a previous marriage, Nicole Ryan and
"Tony" Edward Anthony Rowell, and two grandsons,
Forrest Avery Ryan and Colby Dustin Ryan.
Barbara is survived
by her mother Lucile Cushman, brother Robert Cushman,
and nieces Mariah and Grace Cushman.
Born Aug. 23, 1940 in
Berkeley, Calif., to a college professor and a concert
cellist, Galen was introduced to wilderness before he
could walk. He began climbing mountains at the age of
10 and by age 60 he had completed more than 40
expeditions on all seven continents and to both poles.
He has produced 18 books of photos and text that
exemplify his special brand of participatory
wilderness photography in which the photographer
transcends being an observer with a camera to become
an active participant in the image being photographed.
In 1984 he received
the Ansel Adams Award for his contributions to the art
of wilderness photography. Since 1986, he has written
a popular monthly column for Outdoor Photographer
Magazine and in 1992 he received a National Science
Foundation Artists and Writers Grant to photograph
Antarctica.
Barbara Rowell was
the president of Mountain Light Photography, a photo
agency, gallery and small press co-owned with Galen.
Barbara piloted a Cessna T206 and had recently
completed her first book Flying South: A Pilot's Inner
Journey, scheduled to be released in October of 2002.
Her photographs have been published in National
Geographic, Outside, Plane & Pilot, and in many books,
calendars, and travel publications.
Barbara was born Jan.
29, 1948 in Hawaii to Lucile and Irving Cushman while
her father was stationed in the Navy at Pearl Harbor.
At the age of five, her family was transferred to
Texas for a brief stay in Kingsville before settling
in California. After moving to Aspen to design ski
wear, she returned to California to complete her
studies in Textiles and Business, and graduated in
1978 from the University of California at Davis with
Highest Honors.
Barbara and Galen
were married in 1981 and together built Mountain Light
Photography into a successful gallery and stock
photography business that recently relocated from the
Bay Area to their new home of Bishop in the Eastern
Sierra.
Barbara and Galen
traveled to many exotic locations, including to a
National Geographic assignment in Pakistan to cover
the highest war in history where they were flown
throughout the Himalaya as guests of President Zia.
They have also been the guests of the Dalai Lama, and
served as guides to Robert Redford on a trek through
Nepal.
They touched many
lives around the world, and they will be sorely
missed.
Services for the
couple are pending.
Some
of the Many Reactions:
Galen and Barbara
Rowell touched many people's lives:
From Gary Guller : I
was deeply saddened to hear the news about the death
of Galen Rowell and his wife Barbara. It was Galen's
images of nature and the mountains that truly inspired
me when I was younger to travel the world, especially
the Nepal Himalaya. This I will never forget. I send
my condolences to all of their friends and family. Gary Guller
The contributions of
the Rowell's in photography, was only eclipsed by
their contributions as human beings. Galen was an
artist, capturing the depth and breadth of the
mountain environs and his interpretations of those
scenes often provided our sense of humanity and
conscience about our lives in high places. The
mountain gods must surely be weeping in their throne
rooms; rooms imagined, envisioned and created for our
enjoyment by Galen and Barbara.
The Anatoli Boukreev
Memorial Fund
A Memorial Fund has
been established for Galen Rowell and Barbara Cushman
Rowell through the Tides Foundation. This fund will be
used to support the philanthropic interests of the
Rowells.
Donations can be sent to:
Tides Foundation
P. O. Box 29903
San Francisco, CA 94219-0903
Checks to the memorial fund should be payable to:
"Tides Foundation," with the following memo: "In
memory of Galen Rowell and Barbara Cushman Rowell."
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