New details have emerged about a climbing accident that killed three men in the North Cascades, Washington state officials say.
The Okanogan County Coroner's Office has identified the deceased as Vishnu Irigireddy, 48, from Renton, Tim Nguyen, 63, from Renton, and Oleksander Martynenko, 36, from Bellevue. Anton Tselykh, 38, from Seattle, survived the incident.
Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call reporting a climbing accident at approximately 11:30am on Sunday, May 11, in the area of North Early Winters Spire, approximately 16 miles west of Mazama.
Speaking to the New York Times, Undersheriff David Yarnell says the men turned back due to a change in the weather. As they were descending, they fell at least 200ft before sliding another 200ft across a snow-covered chute.
"The presumed cause of the accident is an anchor failure while rappelling, with more investigation still ongoing," states the Sheriff's Office. Local KOMO news reports the men attached their rope to a piton left in the rock by past climbers, and it's believed it may have torn free.
It's now being reported that Tselykh lay unconscious for hours before waking up to seek help. He reportedly hiked back to the car despite suffering internal injuries and drove 60 miles to call alert authorities using a pay phone. He was transported to a medical facility, and his condition is unknown.
Speaking to NBC News, Yarnell calls the climber's survival "miraculous."
"The fact that he had a head injury, a severe head injury and internal bleeding, it is just amazing that he was able to make his way back to the highway and then get in his car and drive."
The deceased climbers were extracted by helicopter from what the Sheriff's Office describes as "technical, mountainous terrain."
"The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the SAR volunteers and Snohomish County for assisting in this tragic incident. Our thoughts are with the family members and friends of those involved," concludes the Sheriff's Office.
The North Early Winter Spire is a granite rock formation with multiple routes that take climbers up to a summit at 7,760ft (2,365m). According to the Mountain Project, the spire is less popular than neighboring Early Winter Spire because it has no easy way up or down
