Lone Survivor Rescued as Three Climbers Fall to Their Death on Denali

Four members of a seven-member climbing team were safely evacuated from Denali last week. The three other climbers in the group died of their injuries after falling on the mountain.

Park rangers received a report, shortly before midnight last Wednesday, that four climbers had fallen near Denali Pass at around 18,000 feet. 

One of the injured climbers who had fallen was rescued Thursday evening.  The other three who had fallen were determined to be deceased.  

Due to terrain and conditions at the site, a high-altitude helicopter was unable to land, and instead, performed the rescue using a long-line extraction. The injured climber was transported to the Kahiltna  Base Camp and then transferred by a LifeMed helicopter to a hospital for treatment.

After assisting with the rescue of their teammate at high elevation, the three climbers who had not fallen, began to experience declining health. They also required evacuation from the mountain on Friday. 

All three were then flown to the Kahiltna Base Camp, evaluated by medical personnel, and released to a local air taxi for transport to Talkeetna.

Rescue operations for the deceased climbers transitioned to a recovery effort over the weekend.

The National Park Service does not release information about fatality victims until 72 hours after next-of-kin notification. 

Photo by NPS