Missing Seattle ski mountaineer found dead after 3,000-foot fall from Alaska's Mt. McKinley
Denali National Park and Preserve said 41-year-old Alex Chiu, of Seattle, Washington, was found dead Wednesday morning along the West Buttress climbing route on to the Peters Glacier.
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DENALI, Alaska – The body of a ski mountaineer has been recovered after a 3,000-foot fall from Mt. McKinley in Alaska, authorities said.
Denali National Park and Preserve said 41-year-old Alex Chiu, of Seattle, Washington, was found dead Wednesday morning along the West Buttress climbing route on to the Peters Glacier. After recovery, rangers returned to the park headquarters where his body was transferred to the state medical examiner.
On Monday, two other members of Chiu’s expedition reported that the un-roped ski mountaineer fell at a location known as Squirrel Point.
After witnessing the fall, officials said the two lowered over the edge as far as possible but was unable to see or hear Chiu. They then descended the West Buttress route for additional help before proceeding to camp.
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Mount McKinley appears above a fog layer in the early morning hours of May 14, 2025 in Denali National Park, Alaska.
(Lance King / Getty Images)
Due to high winds and snow, ground and air search was unable to access the accident site until early Wednesday morning. Clearing weather on the north side of the Alaska Range provided the opportunity for two mountaineering rangers to depart Talkeetna for an arial helicopter search to locate and recover the body.
In 2010, an un-roped French mountaineer fell to his death near this same location towards the Peters Glacier. His body was never recovered.
There are currently 500 climbers on the mountain. The climbing season typically begins in early May and ends in early July.