Search for missing hikers in Denali National Park scaled back; survival now 'outside window of possibility'
Eli Michael, of Columbia City, Illinois, and Nafiun Awal, of Seattle, set out for a climb on Moose’s Tooth, a 10,300-foot mountain in the national park’s Ruth Gorge, early in the morning on May 5.
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TALKEETNA, Alaska – The search for two missing hikers who were likely swept down a mountain during an avalanche inside Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve has been scaled back after officials concluded that "survival is outside the window of possibility."
Eli Michael, of Columbia City, Illinois, and Nafiun Awal, of Seattle, set out for a climb on Moose’s Tooth, a 10,300-foot mountain in the national park’s Ruth Gorge, early in the morning on May 5.
DENALI NATIONAL PARK OFFICIALS SAY 2 MISSING CLIMBERS LIKELY TRIGGERED AVALANCHE, FELL DOWN MOUNTAIN
West Ridge of the Moose’s Tooth, Denali National Park and Preserve. The red box indicates the vicinity of the boot tracks that lead into a small avalanche area
(National Park Service)
While communicating with their friend, the climbers said they had intended to climb the West Ridge, a steep technical route on the mountain, in a single, long push. And to minimize weight and move quickly, they did not bring overnight gear, nor likely more than a day’s supply of food, water and fuel, according to a news release.
A search was launched when the men failed to check in after the climb, and park officials say clues collected during the search suggested the men were swept off their feet by a slab avalanche on the evening of May 5.
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Several items belonging to the climbers were discovered during the search, including two ice axes and a climbing helmet.
Multiple searches were conducted via helicopter to reduce the exposure to rockfall and avalanche hazards to rescuers, and the two climbers were not found. Boot tracks leading to where the avalanche occurred were also observed.
Officials added that spotters on both aerial and ground missions searched both the climbing route and the 3,200-foot fall line "to a degree that if the climbers were visible on the surface, there is a high probability that they would have been discovered."
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After several days of searching, and considering the severity of the rocky terrain, the climbers’ limited supplies, temperatures ranging from 5 to 20 degrees overnight and the duration of time that lapsed, search managers concluded that the men’s survival chances were outside the window of possibility, according to an update from park officials.
Park rangers will continue the aerial search for signs of the two men over the next several months when snow conditions change as temperatures rise.