Cause of death for missing hiker revealed

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7/28/2010 11:54:00 AM

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Mark Swenson

Cause of death for missing hiker revealed

Chelsea Gorrow
Staff Writer

The cause of death for Mark Swenson, the Soap Lake man missing on Mount Cashmere for nearly two weeks, has been released.

Swenson died of hypertensive heart disease, according to the Chelan County Coroner Wayne Harris.

"Based on where he was, he was still at the base going up the mountain, not going down, we think he died the day he left for his trip," Harris said. "It's hard to pin-point but we looked at a few of the pictures on his camera and we think he was just starting out on his trip."

Swenson began his journey July 5.

Dental records were used to positively identify the body.

Mark Swenson's family and friends celebrated the hiker's life last Saturday in Twisp, marking some closure to a long ordeal. Swenson and his wife Lois had only moved to Soap Lake two months ago, according to his stepson Eric Smith. The couple formally lived in the Winthrop area.

Swenson was missing for 11 days on Mount Cashmere. His family and friends, as well as the Chelan County Sheriff's Office and search and rescue volunteers, scoured 28 square miles until a passing hiker spotted his body July 17, alerting authorities. Swenson was found seven miles from the Eightmile Trailhead at the base of Mount Cashmere.

Chelsea Gorrow can be reached at 548-5286 or reporter@leavenworthecho.com

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