Three Climbers Die After Fall on Alaska's Mount McKinley

Three climbers died and one was injured after falling at Denali Pass on Mount McKinley in Alaska, according to the National Park Service. The four were part of a seven-person group from Latvia that had traveled to the United States to climb the peak, also known as Denali, the Latvian Mountaineering Association stated.

The accident occurred on Wednesday. Three climbers returned to camp after the fall, but weather prevented an immediate helicopter response.

Thursday afternoon, park service personnel used a long-line extraction to rescue the injured climber after a high-altitude helicopter could not land due to terrain and conditions. The climber was taken to base camp and then airlifted to a hospital. On Friday, the National Park Service announced that operations for the remaining three climbers had changed from search and rescue to recovery.

The park service does not release fatality details until 72 hours after next-of-kin notification. The Latvian Mountaineering Association issued a statement naming the deceased as Inese Pučeka, Vija Olte, and Renārs Kunigs-Salaks, and identified the injured climber as Mārtiņš Bilzēns, who was evacuated in critical condition.

Mount McKinley's climbing season runs from late April through mid-July. The National Park Service provides planning guidelines because accidents remain common on the 20,310-foot peak.