Two American climbers and a Canadian national are presumed dead after falling from New Zealand’s highest mountain, Mount Cook (also known as Aoraki).
The climbers, Kurt Blair, 56, Carlos Romero, 50, and the Canadian national, were reported overdue on Monday morning, prompting a search and rescue operation.
According to Aoraki Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker, “We do not believe the men have survived. We believe the men had died in a fall.” The search operation, which included a helicopter and search-and-rescue personnel, was hampered by adverse weather conditions earlier in the week.
The three climbers had flown to the area on November 30 and were planning to summit the 12,218-foot alpine mountain via Zurbriggen Ridge. Several items believed to have belonged to the men, including a jacket and an ice axe, were retrieved earlier in the week, with more climbing-related items discovered on Friday.
Police found evidence, including footprints, where they believe the climbers had begun to traverse the slopes beneath Zurbriggen Ridge. Blair and Romero are certified guides in skiing, alpine climbing, and rock climbing, according to the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA).
Inspector Walker stated that police “remain poised to reactivate our search if we receive fresh information or credible reports of sightings.”
