Mountain climber from Rigby killed on Alaskan glacier
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RIGBY — A block of falling ice killed a 32-year-old climber from Rigby on an Alaskan glacier Thursday morning.
The man, whose name has not been released, was climbing with a 31-year-old from Logan, Utah on the Ruth Glacier, according to a Denali National Park news release. The area sits near Denali, the highest peak in North America.
The two climbers were using ropes around 5 a.m. Reports show the block of glacier ice came down on the pair, leaving the Utah man unconscious and the Rigby man dead. When the Utah climber regained consciousness, he alerted park officials with a satellite communication device around 6 a.m.
“Despite significant injuries, the surviving climber managed to move to a location outside of the debris zone to await rescue,” the news release says.
Denali National Park sent a high-altitude helicopter pilot with two rangers to the site around 7 a.m. They were able to get the Utah climber to safety and he was taken to an air ambulance for further medical care.
After the rescue, teams tried to return to the site to recovery the Rigby man’s body but heavy clouds forced the crew to return to base. Rescuers will continue to try to recover his remains.
EastIdahoNews.com will provide updates when they become available.