Otto H. Loenneker apparently slipped on an ice field at 11,500 feet and fell about 75 feet to his death.

"He and a climbing partner set out Sunday morning to scout out possible routes to ... the summit, which is nearly 14,000 feet," said Erica Stuart, Madera County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman.

When he did not return to their camp at the agreed time of 3 p.m., the partner—whose name could not be obtained at press time—immediately alerted emergency personnel.

A Mono County Sheriff's Department search and rescue team began searching for Loenneker. Though the mountain is actually in Madera County, Mono rescuers are closer to the site and better trained to search the rugged, icy terrain, Stuart said.

"They secured an H60 Blackhawk helicopter—which isn't easy to do—and flew it in," she said. "The pilot was able to spot the body at about 5:30 [the next] evening."

Rescuers then recovered the Danish man's body from the site, which is in the High Sierra mountain range just east of Yosemite National Park.

Loenneker is survived by sons Otto and Erik, companion Alma, daughters-in-law Summer and Shirley, and brothers Paul and Jorgen, who still live in Denmark with their children. Friends and family gathered at a memorial service in Mountain View Aug. 15.

According to a company website, Loenneker founded an energy and information technology consulting firm last summer.