A climber died Saturday after a helicopter crew fell about 1,000 feet (305 meters) on a steep technical route on Mount Johnson in Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve, park officials said in a statement. It was announced that the body of the man had been recovered.
The park said Robi Mekas, 52, of Keene Valley, New York, was recovering from injuries sustained Thursday when he fell while climbing a route on the southeast face of the 8,400-foot (2,560-meter) mountain. and died. His 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 team, who received the report at around 10:45 p.m. and descended to the spot where the climbers had fallen. The park said in a statement that it was confirmed that one of the climbers had died, and that they had dug a snow cave and treated the injured climber.
A rescue helicopter and two mountaineering rangers departed early Friday morning. Talkeetna, is the base for the park’s climbing activities. They were able to rescue the injured climber, who was then transported by helicopter for further treatment. Helicopters and rangers later returned to the mountain to retrieve the body of the deceased climber, but turned back due to worsening weather, the statement said. The park says the Rangers plan to return when conditions allow.
The names of the deceased climbers were not immediately released, pending notification of their families.
The fall occurred on a route on the southeast face of the 8,400-foot mountain known as “The Escalator.” The route requires navigating steep rocks, ice and snow, the park said.
Denali National Park and Preserve is approximately 240 miles (386 km) north of Anchorage.
