NEW DELHI: A helicopter crew recovered on Saturday the body of a climber who passed away following a 1,000 feet (305 meters) fall on a challenging route on Mount Johnson in Denali National Park and Preserve, as stated by park officials.
Robbi Mecus, who was 52 years old and from Keene Valley, New York, passed away due to injuries he sustained in a fall on Thursday while climbing a route on the southeast face of the 8,400-foot (2,560-meter) Mount Johnson, according to the park.His climbing partner, a 30-year-old woman from California, suffered serious injuries and was rescued on Friday. She was then flown to an Anchorage hospital, as stated by park officials.
Another group of climbers saw the fall and informed authorities around 10:45 p.m. on Thursday. They went down to the location where the climbers had fallen and verified that one person had passed away. They dug a snow cave and provided assistance to the injured climber, as stated by the park.
Early Friday, a rescue helicopter and two mountaineering rangers successfully rescued the injured climber, who was later airlifted for further medical attention. Subsequently, the helicopter and rangers went back to the mountain to retrieve the body of the deceased climber, but adverse weather conditions forced them to retreat, as mentioned in the statement. Improved weather conditions on Saturday morning enabled the helicopter to come back and retrieve Mecus’ body, according to the park.