Kyrgyzstan officials on Wednesday said a search for a Russian climber who became stranded on the country’s highest peak after breaking her leg more than two weeks ago had found no signs of life.
Natalia Nagovitsyna was climbing the 24,406-foot Victory Peak but broke her leg and became stuck at an altitude of around 23,000 feet. Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak, is 29,032 feet.
Kyrgyzstan’s state security agency said a thermal-imaging drone survey of the area where Nagovitsyna showed no signs she was still alive.
“Based on analysis of the data obtained and taking into account a combination of factors, including extreme weather conditions and the specifics of the area, no signs of life were found at Nagovitsyna’s location,” it said in a statement.
Several rescue attempts failed to retrieve the 47-year-old climber, who spent more than two weeks in a small orange tent, torn apart by gusting winds, at the mountain top where summer temperatures reach lower than -20C.
A drone that flew over Nagovitsyna’s location confirmed she was alive as of last Tuesday, The London Times reported, but there was no sign of life when the drone flew over the same area last Thursday.
An Italian climber, Luca Sinigaglia, died on August 15, trying to reach her, one rescue helicopter crashed and other attempts had to be called off as climbers became ill and faced extreme weather conditions.
Experts previously said no one has ever been evacuated from such a high altitude on the mountain.
Victory Peak, also called Jengish Chokusu, is the highest mountain in the Tian Shan mountain range and is located on the China–Kyrgyzstan border.
Emin Sansar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Natalia Nagovitsyna’s husband Sergei died of a stroke in 2021 while climbing Khan Tengri (23,028 feet), the highest peak in Kazakhstan, also in Central Asia, Russian media reported. The Daily Mail reported Nagovitsyna made headlines at the time for refusing to leave her husband on the mountain after his stroke.
Earlier this month, a Chinese climber died after she was hit by falling rocks on K2, the world’s second-highest peak. In July, German mountaineer and Olympic gold medalist, Laura Dahlmeier, died while attempting to climb another peak in the region.