Authorities in Kyrgyzstan announced on Saturday that the search for a Russian climber stranded on the country’s tallest mountain has been suspended indefinitely due to extreme weather conditions.
Natalia Nagovitsyna sustained a leg injury while attempting to summit Victory Peak, which rises to 7,439 meters, and has been trapped in the high-altitude region for eleven days, reportedly at around 7,000 meters elevation.
Tragically, an Italian climber, Luca Sinigaglia, lost his life on August 15 while attempting a rescue.
According to the Italian Foreign Ministry, rescuers from Italy were deployed to the location in an effort to retrieve his body via helicopter.
The rescue mission for Nagovitsyna, who celebrated her 48th birthday on August 20 according to Russian sources, has yet to achieve success.
A rescue helicopter was involved in an accident in the mountains, and a group of climbers was forced to halt their ascent when their leader fell seriously ill, as reported by Kyrgyz officials.
On Saturday, Adil Chargynov, a spokesperson for the Kyrgyz Emergency Situations Ministry, stated to RIA Novosti that “weather conditions have worsened significantly, leading to the suspension of all rescue efforts.”
Current temperatures at the summit of Victory Peak are around minus 30 degrees Celsius at night, compounded by severe winds and snowstorms, according to a ministry source cited by TASS.
Chargynov noted that “all climbers and experts agree that she is sadly likely no longer alive.”
Dmitry Grekov, the head of the Victory Peak base camp, informed TASS, “We are aware of her location, but reaching her is impossible.”
He emphasized, “No one has ever been evacuated from such high altitudes on this mountain.”
“It cannot be done manually; only helicopters can perform such operations, and we lack the necessary helicopters in Kyrgyzstan,” Grekov added.
In a tragic twist, Nagovitsyna’s husband, Sergei, passed away from a stroke in 2021 while climbing 7,010-meter Khan Tengri, the highest peak in Kazakhstan, also located in Central Asia, as reported by Russian media.
