A 32-year-old climber died in the Beartooth Mountains on Friday afternoon, after falling rocks hit him in the head.

Andrew Evans of Red Lodge, Montana, had been climbing the Gardner Buttress — a formation located just inside the Wyoming border — when the accident occurred. Emergency responders were summoned around 1:30 p.m. and hiked into the area, but Evans died at the scene. The rocks inflicted fatal trauma to the outdoorsman’s head despite him wearing a protective helmet, authorities said. His climbing partner was not injured.

Evans had been a member of Red Lodge Search and Rescue since January 2022. His former colleagues joined with personnel from Park County Search and Rescue to recover his body, lowering him to the valley floor and then carrying him up the other side to the Beartooth Highway (U.S. Highway 212). It reportedly took 1,400 feet of rope, a winch, a wheeled litter and nearly eight hours, wrapping up around 9:30 p.m.

Red Lodge Fire Rescue said it was heartbroken by Evans’ loss. The agency described him as quiet, easy-going and dependable and praised his thoughtfulness and genial nature.

“Always a smile, a good attitude, a willingness to help, and super easy going,” wrote one colleague, Dang Chang. “I am so sorry for his loss, and I know our team was made better with him on it.”

It wasn’t the only tragedy to take place along the Beartooth Highway last weekend, either: On Saturday, a 56-year-old motorcyclist from Nevada, Eric Furman, was killed in a crash just north of the Wyoming border, according to media reports. Several others were injured in the incident, which involved three other motorcycles.