Climber dead, another injured after falling 1,000 feet while scaling mountain in Alaska

One climber is dead, and another climber is injured after a 1,000-foot fall off a mountain at Denali National Park in Alaska, officials say.

The two-person rope team was participating in an ascending 5,000-foot route on Thursday from Mount Johnson. This route, known as "The Escalator," is "a steep and technical alpine climb on the peak's southeast face," according to the National Park Service. The NPS also says the challenging route has a mix of steep rock, ice and snow.

At 10:45 p.m. local time other climbers witnessed the two climbers falling from the mountain. The Alaska Regional Communication Center was alerted and medical responders headed to the scene. One of the climbers was confirmed dead upon the responder’s arrival. The other climber was taken to a makeshift snow cave where they were given medical attention throughout the night, the park service said.

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Rescue helicopter comes to help climbers at Mount Johnson

Around 7 a.m. Friday, a rescue helicopter was sent to help the injured climber and recover the body of the deceased. A mountaineering ranger was short halted into the makeshift snow cave to rescue the injured climber. Both the climber and the ranger were then transported out of the cave and to the helicopter. The climber was then transferred to the LifeMed air ambulance at the Talkeetna State Airport. The climber was then taken to a hospital for further care, the park service said.

Director of Interpretation and Education at Denali National Park and Preserve, Paul Ollig, told USA TODAY that the current status of the injured climber is still unknown. 

“The National Park Service is not given any updates on a patient's condition after they are transferred to LifeMed,” Ollig said. “No updated status is available.” 

The park service said that the identity of the deceased climber will be released once the family is notified.

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.