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The search for missing Mt. Foraker
climbers Karen McNeill and Sue Nott was again not possible today
due to poor flying conditions. Low clouds shrouded the lower elevations
of Mt. McKinley and the ranger camp at 14,200-foot elevation received
six inches of new snow overnight. Weather conditions are not expected
to improve significantly in the next two-three days. The search
for the two missing climbers has been focused in the area near the
Foraker summit, where tracks of the pair were discovered at the
16,400-foot elevation.
Only limited aerial search has taken place since Monday, June 5
due to cloud cover and poor flying conditions in the search area.
After a thorough analysis of the situation and in light of the predicted
weather, search managers today have determined that a continued
focused search effort will not provide any different results from
what has been obtained to date and have decided to suspend active
search operations. The goal to locate the climbers will continue,
as weather and resources allow. This will include further examination
of the summit area and periodic examination, as melting occurs,
of the avalanche debris where the backpack and other gear items
were found.
Since June 1, the National Park Service has conducted 27 hours
of low level aerial search with helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft
as conditions allowed, all within a five mile radius of Mount Foraker.
All of the search segments, including areas of the summit, have
been flown on multiple occasions, and at every opportunity that
weather conditions have allowed. During this time there has been
no sighting of the climbers on the route, or any evidence of activity
on the snow surface in the vicinity of the summit or any of the
various routes leading off the mountain.
It is believed that even if the two climbers had all of the fuel
containers with them, assuming none were in the backpack that was
discovered at the base of the avalanche chute, it would only have
lasted 18 days under the best of conditions. Without the ability
to melt snow into water, climbers rapidly become dehydrated, increasing
the probability of debilitating frostbite, hypothermia and weakness.
Eating snow for water provides some relief, but generally hastens
hypothermia and depletes the calories needed for warmth. In the
best case scenario, Nott and McNeill have had no water for ten days.
Sue Nott, 36, of Vail, Colorado and Karen McNeill, 37, of Canmore,
Alberta, Canada, were last seen on May 14 at the base of the Infinite
Spur route on Mt. Foraker.
-NPS-
____________________________________________
Kris Fister
Public Affairs Officer
Denali National Park and Preserve
Privacy
& Disclaimer
Author:Jane
Ahernl
www.nps.gov/akso
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