PETALING JAYA: One of two Malaysian climbers trapped on an Alaskan mountain since Tuesday was been rescued successfully, while another died awaiting help, according to the Alpine Club of Malaysia.
“At 6am (Malaysian time) on Friday, rescuers managed to evacuate one of the climbers, Zainudin Lot, who is currently being treated at a hospital in Talkeetna, Alaska.
“His condition is stable but he has frostbite on both hands,“ the club said in a Facebook post.
However, his climbing partner Zulkifli Yusuf died on Wednesday morning.
“We regret to inform you that Zulkifli Yusuf was confirmed dead at 6am on Wednesday while taking refuge in a ‘snow cave’ in an area known as ‘Football Field’ at an altitude of 19,700ft above sea level.
“The suspected causes of death are high altitude cerebral edema and hypothermia, which will be confirmed by a postmortem,“ the club added.
Zulkifli’s body remains on the 20,310-foot Mount Denali as the process to recover his remains may take some time, depending on weather conditions.
The Star reported that a third Malaysian climber, Muhammad Illaham Ishak, was rescued after the group became trapped by bad weather during their descent on May 28.
He is hospitalised in Anchorage with frostbite injuries after the expedition successfully reached the summit.
