Russian female mountaineer Natalia Nagovichina unfortunately suffered a leg fracture at an altitude of about 7,000 meters when she descended from Victory Peak in Kyrgyzstan with a mountaineering team on the 12th. Up to now, she has been trapped at an altitude of 7,000 meters for about two weeks. A few days ago, the search and rescue work of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan failed repeatedly, and it announced the suspension of the rescue operation. Her 27-year-old son begged to restart the rescue operation and called on the Russian authorities to carry out the rescue on their own.

Some mountain climbers have died.

A helicopter crashed and rescuers were injured.

Natalia is 47 years old and an experienced mountaineer who successfully climbed Victory Peak in Kyrgyzstan in 2020.

On August 15, three days after the accident, two of her mountaineering teammates, German Gunter and Italian Luca, managed to reach Natalia and deliver her sleeping bags, tents, food, water and gas. However, on the way down the mountain for help, Luca was killed at an altitude of 6900 meters on the 15th due to severe frostbite and plateau cerebral edema. His body still remains in a cave at an altitude of 6900 meters.

On August 17, a rescue helicopter crashed, injuring rescue workers. There were reports that another rescue helicopter was forced to turn back due to poor visibility. During the period, another climber managed to reach Natalia but failed to rescue her.

On August 19, a drone operator, Andrey, shot a picture of Natalya waving her hand out of the tent. However, the drone was unable to take off again due to the snow and fog caused by the aftermath of the bad weather.

Natalya Nagovichna broke her leg while climbing the mountain and was trapped in a thousands of miles of hills.

Erik Raul Arbino Liliua, an expert at the South American Mountain Rescue Association, said that at altitudes above 6,000 meters, most helicopters cannot fly safely due to thin air, turbulent air currents and lack of power. "Without endangering more lives, rescue attempts become almost impossible," Liliua said.

On August 23, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan announced that Natalia was missing. Due to bad weather conditions, the search and rescue operation was forced to cancel. The person in charge of the relevant operation said that there is no precedent in the world for successfully rescuing people at an altitude of 7000 meters.

The deputy chairman of the Kyrgyz mountain climbing federation, Ilim Karepbekov, said: ¡°It makes no sense to wait any longer, rescuers will only see her in the next season, so Kyrgyzstan cancelled the rescue.¡±

Rescuer Denis Kiselev estimates that if the rescue continues, the total cost could be as high as $100,000. Another report said the preliminary estimate was $58,800. It is reported that Natalia only purchased basic insurance of $35,000. If she ends up being killed, the rest of the expenses may need to be borne by her adult son.

Italian mountaineer Lucca died after delivering supplies

Expert: Rescue must wait until next summer

A mountaineer was killed here, and his body has not yet been transported out

On August 25th, local time, Alexander Bastrykin, chairman of the Investigation Committee of the Russian Federation, ordered his subordinates to coordinate with the Ministry of Emergency Situations to "take comprehensive measures" to assist in the rescue after receiving a video request for help from Natalia's son Mikhail.

Russian climbing scientist Alexander Ichenko said on Monday that rescue is almost impossible, and because the climbing season has ended, rescue workers will have to climb the mountain no earlier than July next year, and even if her body is to be transported, it will have to wait until next summer.

On the 27th, drone operator Andrey asked for a helicopter to send him to the mountain and fly near Natalia's tent. He believed that the weather forecast for the next few days showed good conditions and Natalia still had a chance to be rescued.

According to reports, Natalia is located at the place where another mountaineer Mikhail Ishukin died a few years ago, and his body has not been transported out yet.

Natalia's husband Sergei was also a mountaineer. In 2021, he died of a stroke while climbing Khan Tengger Peak at an altitude of 6995 meters. Natalia refused to go down the mountain alone and stayed with her husband until his death before agreeing to withdraw. A year later, she returned to the mountain again and set up a commemorative plaque for her husband.

Red Star News reporter Deng Shuyi

Editor, Bao Chengli