Body of climber who died after 1,000ft fall recovered from Alaska mountain

Original source (on modern site) | Article images: [1]

A helicopter crew on Saturday recovered the body of a climber who died after falling about 1,000ft (305 metres) while on a steep, technical route on Mount Johnson in Alaska's Denali national park and preserve, park officials said in a statement.

Robbi Mecus, 52, of Keene Valley, New York, died of injuries sustained in a fall Thursday while climbing a route on the south-east face of the 8,400ft (2,560-metre) mountain, the park said. Her climbing partner, a 30-year-old woman from California, was seriously injured; she was rescued Friday and flown to an Anchorage hospital, park officials said.

The fall was witnessed by another climbing party, who reported it at about 10.45pm and descended to where the climbers had fallen. They confirmed one of the climbers had died, and dug a snow cave and tended to the hurt climber, according to a statement from the park.

Early Friday, a rescue helicopter and two mountaineering rangers left Talkeetna, where the park's mountaineering operations are based. They were able to rescue the injured climber, who was later flown by helicopter for additional medical care. The helicopter and rangers returned to the mountain later to recover the body of the climber who had died but were forced back by deteriorating weather, the statement said. Rangers plan to return when conditions allow, the park said.

The name of the climber who died was not immediately released, pending notification of family.

The fall occurred on a route on the 8,400ft mountain's south-east face known as "the escalator". The route involves navigating steep rock, ice and snow, the park said.

Denali national park and preserve is about 240 miles (386km) north of Anchorage.