Attorney Winston Chu Dies After Fall on Mount Whitney

On October 19, staff at a motel in Lone Pine contacted authorities after Winston Chu missed checkout and left his belongings behind. The 49-year-old Santa Clara resident had told staff he intended to hike in the Mount Whitney area. Attempts by sheriff’s officials to reach him went unanswered.

Authorities found Chu’s vehicle at Whitney Portal. A California Highway Patrol helicopter located him on October 20 along the Mountaineer’s Route, at about 13,600 feet on the mountain.

Snow and hazardous weather delayed the recovery. On October 25, a helicopter from the California Highway Patrol, alongside Inyo County rescue personnel, retrieved his body. The Inyo County Coroner’s Office concluded Chu succumbed to severe trauma after falling.

Chu graduated from Georgetown Law in 2006 and spent over eight years with Roche Molecular Solutions in Santa Clara as a specialist in patent law. Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet, is the highest peak in the contiguous United States. The Mountaineer’s Route is a steep approach to the summit.