DENALI PARK, Alaska — Probably a Malaysian climber died from exposure and altitude-related illness earlier this week after sheltering for days in a snow cave with minimal survival gear near the summit of Denali, North America’s tallest mountain in Alaska, park officials said Saturday.
Zulkifli Bin Yusof, 36, likely died Wednesday in a cave at 19,000 feet (5,974 meters) in Denali National Park and Preserve, park spokesman Paul Ollig said Saturday. The National Park Service recovered his body Friday evening, Ollig said.
Yusof was part of a three-member climbing team, all of whom listed their address as the Alpine Club of Malaysia in Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, according to Ollig. Yusof’s two partners survived.
Park rangers first received an SOS message from the team at 1 a.m. Tuesday, indicating that the climbers were hypothermic and could not descend after reaching the peak of the Alaskan mountain (6,190 meters).
One of the men, a 48-year-old, was rescued on Tuesday evening after descending to a camp at an altitude of 5,243 metres. He had severe frostbite and hypothermia, according to the park.
Late Thursday, the park’s high-altitude helicopter pilot was able to drop a bag of survival gear near the snow cave and saw a climber wave to him, but strong winds prevented a rescue at the time, the park said.
The other climber, a 47-year-old, was rescued Friday morning after days cloudy, windy conditions.
Two of the three men had previous experience on Denali, Ollig said. All three had previously climbed other high-altitude mountains, he said.
The climber rescued Friday was taken to an Anchorage hospital for additional care and “was in surprisingly strong condition and was even able to walk on his own considering what he had to endure,” Ollig previously said. The climber’s name and additional information about him and the other survivor would not be released by the park.
The other climber is also recovering in a hospital.