Rescue efforts to save a Russian mountaineer stranded nearly 23,000 feet up Kyrgyzstan’s highest peak have been abandoned after repeated attempts failed and experts concluded survival was no longer realistic.
Forty-seven-year-old climber Natalia Nagovitsina has been trapped on Victory Peak, also known as Jengish Chokusu or Pik Pobedy, for at least 10 days after breaking her leg during an ascent. The mountain, which rises to 24,406 feet on the Kyrgyzstan–China border, is part of the Tian Shan range and is considered one of the most formidable climbs in Central Asia.
Temperatures in the region have plummeted to as low as minus 23 degrees Celsius, and the prolonged exposure at high altitude has raised fears that Nagovitsina could not have survived the ordeal.
Drone footage taken three days ago appeared to show her moving slightly on a rocky ledge, where she had been stranded since August 12. In earlier footage, she was seen receiving emergency supplies from Italian mountaineer Luca Sinigaglia, who delivered a sleeping bag, tent, food, water and a gas stove in an effort to keep her alive.