Climber Killed By Falling Ice In Alaska National Park

A climber was killed and another experienced serious injuries after they were both hit by a falling block of glacier ice at Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska.

The Associated Press reports the hanging serac dislodged from a peak off the West Fork of the Ruth Glacier and hit the two individuals last Thursday (May 13).

Parks spokesperson Maureen Gualtieri confirmed to the AP that the two individuals began climbing one of the peaks on the southern flank of Denali, the tallest mountain in North America, when the accident took place.

The ice hit the two-person climbing team at around 5:00 a.m., when the men were starting their ascension at the west face of Reality Ridge.

Park officials identified one climber as a 31-year-old man from Logan, Utah, who was knocked unconscious during the accident. The man woke up and found his climbing partner -- a 32-year-old man from Rigby, Idaho -- dead from injuries sustained in the accident, officials confirmed to the AP.

The identities of the two individuals involved in the accident are being withheld until family members make notifications with local authorities, Gualtieri confirmed.

The Utah survivor used a satellite communications device to call for help when he regained consciousness and found his climbing partner dead at the scene at around 6:00 a.m.

An official statement from the park obtained by the AP confirmed the Utah man experienced significant injuries, but was able to move from the debris area to a safe location while waiting for responders.

Two mountaineering rangers arrived at the scene via Denali National Park's high altitude helicopter at around 7:00 a.m. and transported the Utah man to a safe location on the glacier to receive emergency care.

The Idaho man was flown to the nearby town of Talkeetna, where he was transferred via an air ambulance for further care.

The accident is the second death to occur in Denali this year.

Mason Stansfield, 28, of Ouray, Colorado, died from injuries experienced during a skiing accident in which he fell into a crevasse on a glacier in the national park.

Photo: Getty Images


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