Three climbers fell 400 feet to their death. One climber survived and went for help
Four rock climbers experienced a tragic fall of about 400 feet in Washington's North Cascades mountains, resulting in the deaths of three, while the fourth, Anton Tselykh, survived and managed to seek help despite serious injuries. The climbers encountered disaster when a piton, an old metal spike used as an anchor, failed during their descent, leading to the catastrophic fall. Tselykh, after freeing himself from the fallen equipment, hiked for hours to reach a pay phone and alert authorities. The incident took place at the Early Winters Spires, where the climbers attempted to descend after deciding to retreat due to an approaching storm. A search and rescue team located the site using coordinates from a device the climbers had and retrieved the bodies with the help of a helicopter due to the difficult terrain.
Context:
Four rock climbers experienced a tragic fall of about 400 feet in Washington's North Cascades mountains, resulting in the deaths of three, while the fourth, Anton Tselykh, survived and managed to seek help despite serious injuries. The climbers encountered disaster when a piton, an old metal spike used as an anchor, failed during their descent, leading to the catastrophic fall. Tselykh, after freeing himself from the fallen equipment, hiked for hours to reach a pay phone and alert authorities. The incident took place at the Early Winters Spires, where the climbers attempted to descend after deciding to retreat due to an approaching storm. A search and rescue team located the site using coordinates from a device the climbers had and retrieved the bodies with the help of a helicopter due to the difficult terrain.
Dive Deeper:
Four climbers fell approximately 400 feet in the North Cascades mountains, killing three, with the sole survivor, Anton Tselykh, managing to hike to a pay phone despite his injuries to call for help.
The accident occurred during the group's descent when a piton, a type of metal spike used as an anchor, came loose from the rock, causing them to fall into a gulch before tumbling further down.
Tselykh suffered from internal bleeding and head trauma but was able to extricate himself from the equipment and make the long journey to find assistance, highlighting his resilience and determination.
The climbers' fall was linked to an old, weathered piton that was still attached to their ropes, indicating it had been used by previous climbers and likely degraded over time, raising concerns about the reliability of such anchors.
The Early Winters Spires, where the incident happened, is a popular climbing destination known for its challenging routes that can vary in difficulty due to changing weather and environmental conditions.
A search and rescue team, guided by a shared device's coordinates, reached the accident site and retrieved the victims' bodies one by one using a helicopter due to the rugged terrain.
Authorities are still seeking to interview Tselykh to gain a clearer understanding of the events leading up to the fall, as the exact circumstances remain somewhat unclear.