– Climber dies near summit of Mount McKinley
– Climber death on North America’s highest peak.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
A climber from Malaysia who was stranded for three days near the top of North America’s tallest mountain following a summit push was rescued on Friday (local time), but his partner was found dead, officials said. The rescue operation took place on Denali in Alaska, where the climbers had been holed up in a snow cave since late Tuesday.
After facing cloudy and windy conditions for days, personnel from Denali National Park and Preserve were finally able to rescue the surviving climber at an altitude of 5974m. The park’s high-altitude helicopter pilot dropped a bag with survival gear near the snow cave and spotted a climber waving at him late on Thursday. However, strong winds prevented a rescue at that time.
It was uncertain to rescuers whether one or both of the climbers were alive until Friday morning’s rescue operation. Limited communication with the climbers after receiving an SOS from the team at 1am on Tuesday made it challenging for the park officials to assess the situation. The climbers, who are from Malaysia, indicated in their distress call that they were hypothermic and unable to descend after reaching Denali’s 6,190m summit.
According to park spokesperson Paul Ollig, the deceased climber passed away approximately two days before the rescue. The surviving climber was medevaced to an Anchorage hospital for additional care and was reported to be in surprisingly strong condition, even walking on his own considering the ordeal he went through. Recovery of the deceased climber’s body is currently being planned by the rangers.
The climbers were part of a three-person team of men with experience on “multiple high elevation international peaks.” Two of them had previously climbed Denali, as mentioned by Ollig. The third climber, a 48-year-old, was rescued earlier in the week after descending to a 5243m camp. He suffered severe frostbite and hypothermia.
Officials are still gathering information about the incident, with language barriers posing a challenge. More updates on the climbers and the rescue operation are expected to follow as the investigation progresses.
This dramatic rescue on North America’s highest mountain serves as a reminder of the risks and challenges faced by climbers tackling extreme environments. The efforts of the rescue team are commendable in saving the life of one climber and ensuring the recovery of the deceased.
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– Climber dies near summit of North America’s tallest mountain
– North America’s tallest mountain summit tragedy.
