It certainly is puzzling.
From Oregonlive.com
>>Climber James died of hypothermia, had been dead several days
Kelly James, the 48-year-old landscape architect whose body was recovered from a snow cave on Mount Hood Monday, died of hypothermia, said Dr. Larry Lewman of the Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office.
Lewman said that during an autopsy today on Jame, neither a physical exam nor X-rays revealed any broken bones or dislocations. Searchers and rescue officials did believe that James had a dislocated left shoulder, most likely during the ascent of the mountain.
"He might have had some sprains that you might not be able to document,'' Lewman said.
Lewman said it appears that James probably died not too long after he spoke to relatives by cellular phone Dec. 10.
Lewman said it appears that James was also dehydrated, but that the results of chemical tests to confirm that are still pending.
James, from Dallas, Texas, along with 37-year-old Brian Hall, also of Dallas, and New Yorker Jerry "Nikko" Cooke, 36, set out to scale the summit of Mount Hood on Dec. 8. James' body was found by searchers Sunday, and transported to the state medical examiner's office Tuesday.
– Stuart Tomlinson <<