Tragic Rescue on Denali: One Climber Saved, One Deceased After Days Stranded Near Summit
Photo: Shutterstock
Denali park rangers responded swiftly when a group of mountaineers encountered perilous conditions earlier this week. On Tuesday, May 28, two separate parties totaling five climbers needed rescuing, suffering from cold-related injuries and inability to move. Three climbers were successfully rescued, but two men remained stranded and exposed, trapped in a snow cave high on Denali.
The rescue operation kicked off at 1:00 am on Tuesday when park rangers began receiving Garmin InReach messages from three climbers stranded on Denali’s 6,190m summit. Despite being hypothermic and unable to move, the team kept in touch with the rangers until around 3:30 am, as per a National Park Service (NPS) statement.
Initially, the climbers indicated they intended to descend to the Football Field, a flat area approximately 200m below the summit. However, communication abruptly ceased, and there were no updates on their Garmin's location. Subsequent communications confirmed the climbers' identities as three Malaysian men, aged 36, 47, and 48.
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Photo: Denali National Park
As of yesterday, Thursday May 30th 2024, NPS rescuers persevered in their vigilance as strong winds relentlessly pounded the peak. Both ground and air teams remained unable to reach the two climbers stranded on the Football Field. The climbers' last satellite messages, sent on Wednesday night, revealed that their device was nearly out of power, and they are currently sheltering in a "crude" snow cave.
This ordeal unfolded after what the NPS described as an "extended" summit attempt by the Malaysians. The ongoing rescue mission has surpassed 60 hours.
One of the two climbers trapped since Tuesday near Denali’s summit was rescued alive by a helicopter crew early today, Friday May 31st 2024. The other died in a snow cave while waiting for help, according to park officials.
