Mt. McKinley climber's body found after plunging 3,000 feet
June 5 (UPI) -- Climber Alex Chiu's body was found Wednesday after he plunged 3,000 feet from Mt. McKinley's Squirrel Point on the mountain's West Buttress route.
That point on the Alaska mountain, also known as Denali, is roughly 12,000 feet above sea level.
Chiu fell Monday en route to Peters Glacier amid snow and high winds and was unroped when he fell.
Others in his party saw him fall.
"After witnessing the fall, the reporting party lowered over the edge as far as possible but was unable to see or hear Chiu," The National Park Service said.
Snow and wind conditions delayed the discovery of Chiu's body.
"Due to high winds and snow, ground and air search was unable to access the accident site until the early morning hours of June 4.," the NPS said in a statement. "Clearing weather on the north side of the Alaska Range provided the opportunity for two mountaineering rangers to depart Talkeetna for an aerial helicopter search to locate and recover the body."
Chiu's body was taken to the state medical examiner.
In 2010, a French mountaineer who was also climbing without safety ropes fell to his death near the same location but his body was never found.
NPS said 500 climbers are currently on Mt. McKinley. It is 20,000 feet high, the tallest mountain in North America.
The mountain's name was Denali for generations, which means "the tall one" in the Native American Athbascan language.
The name was designated McKinley in 1917, became Denali again in 2015 during the Obama administration and was changed back to McKinley by the Trump administration.
Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
American Legion Post 2 holds annual D-Day remembrance ceremony
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — American Legion Post 2 held its annual D-Day remembrance ceremony Friday, marking the 81 years since Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, a turning point in World War II. The ceremony took place at 10 a.m. along the Peoria Riverfront next to the RiverPlex, where Legion members gathered to honor the bravery and sacrifice of those who took part in the largest amphibious invasion in history. On June 6, 1944, approximately 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily fortified French coastline to confront Nazi Germany. The operation was supported by over 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft. By the end of the day, the Allies had established a critical foothold in continental Europe but at a steep cost. More than 4,700 Allied forces died that, about 2,000 of them being Americans. Gary Hall, the service officer for Post 2, delivered remarks during the ceremony, underscoring the importance of remembering those who served. 'These events right here — like for D-Day — we want people to never forget what a sacrifice, what payment was made in order to keep our freedom. All gave some and some gave all,' Hall said. Notably, no members of the public attended the ceremony this year. Hall expressed disappointment in the turnout but said he understands that many people had work obligations during the morning hours. The event was held at the Military Services Memorial Plaza, continuing a long-standing tradition by Post 2 to honor those who served and to remind future generations of the cost of freedom. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
'I felt for those soldiers': Veteran, 100, recalls D-Day 81 years later
The numbers are staggering: 160,000 Allied troops. Five thousand ships and 13,000 aircraft. All to take a heavily fortified 50-mile stretch of French shoreline, a herculean effort to reclaim a critical part of Europe from the Nazis and turn the tide of the most horrific war the world had ever seen. On June 6, 1944 − D-Day − World War II's invasion of Normandy, codenamed Operation Overlord, got underway. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, told the men as they mobilized for battle: "The eyes of the world are upon you. ... The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you." Tolley Fletcher, at the time a 19-year-old Navy gunner's mate, remembered the rough seas and the treacherous landing troops at Utah Beach had to make in 3- to 4-foot waves, each carrying about 60 pounds of gear on their backs and descending on rope ladders from larger ships onto smaller landing crafts. "I felt for those soldiers," Fletcher, now 100 years old, told USA TODAY. "In my mind, that was the worst part, other than people getting hurt." Fletcher, who joined the Navy at 17 in late December 1941, said he and his shipmates were fortunate to be mostly out of the line of fire. "There was some shelling, not really a lot, and luckily we didn't get hit. "Maybe halfway in, we started seeing lots of bodies in the water," said Fletcher, who now lives in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, area. "I was asked (later) what we did about it. We didn't do anything about it − we had a job: to escort those troops to the beach." On D-Day, "that's what these guys faced," said Peter Donovan Crean Sr., vice president for education and access at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. "They knew they were in the presence of history. Soldiers, sailors, Marines − they knew what they were doing was going to go down in history, which also meant they knew the danger involved. "Guys who were 18, 19, 20 years old were faced with the possibility of their death, but they did it anyway." As we mark the 81st anniversary of D-Day, here is a look at what happened on the beaches of Normandy, the men who fought knowing they might not survive to see victory and the way it affected the Allies' fight to defeat fascism, genocide and tyranny. In order to defeat the Nazis in Europe, the Allies knew they'd have to take France, under German occupation since 1940. Operation Overlord saw a mobilization of 2,876,000 Allied troops in Southern England, as well as hundreds of ships and airplanes, in preparation for a ground invasion, the largest the world had seen. Weighing conditions including the weather, disagreements among other military leaders and strategic uncertainty, Eisenhower gave the go-ahead for the operation to begin before dawn on June 5, 1944. If things didn't go well for the Allies, Eisenhower wrote a note accepting responsibility. The following day, nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed along the 50-mile stretch of French shoreline. More than 9,000 Allied troops were killed or wounded, and 100,000 troops would continue the slow, bloody journey to Berlin, the center of German power. According to the U.S. Army, D-Day was "simply an alliteration, as in H-Hour." Some believe the first "D" also stands for "day," a code designation, while the French say the "D" stands for "disembarkation." The Army's website says that "the more poetic insist D-Day is short for 'day of decision.'" Asked in 1964, Eisenhower instructed his assistant Brig. Gen. Robert Schultz, to answer. Schultz wrote that "any amphibious operation has a 'departed date'; therefore the shortened term 'D-Day' is used.' D-Day was not the only decisive battle of the European theater, Crean said. "It was a crucial battle but there were more ahead," he said. "They had 700 miles of tough road ahead to get to Berlin." The Battle of the Bulge, waged over 41 days in December 1944 and January 1945, required 700,000 Allied troops. "It was a tough slog for another 11 months," Crean said. Victory in Europe − V-E Day − would come on May 8, 1945, nearly a year after D-Day. The war wouldn't end until the Japanese surrendered on Sept. 2, 1945. There are about 66,000 surviving World War II veterans in the United States, Crean said, and while that may sound like a lot, it's a tiny fraction of the 16.4 million who served their country in the conflict. "So to be able to talk to and thank one veteran now is a gift for any of us," Crean said. The National World War II Museum's mission "is more critical than ever ... so more people will understand what they did and continue to be inspired by their sacrifices," added Crean, a retired colonel with 30 years' service in the Army. The museum has had oral historians travel the country to record more than 12,000 personal stories from World War II veterans. They've conducted extensive interviews with veterans, Holocaust survivors and homefront workers and, using artificial intelligence, created a way for visitors to have "conversations" with them and ask questions to learn about the war effort. And they offer virtual programming, teacher training and a student leadership award. Fletcher, the Navy gunner's mate, said he's uncomfortable with the idea of being considered a hero. Asked about his role in history, he said, "I really didn't think about it then, and I don't think about it now, though it's been impressed upon me quite a bit. "When I think about what I went through, and what all the Army and the other men who were mixed up in really tough situations, it makes me feel a little bit guilty." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Remembering D-Day: Veteran, 100, offers first-hand account of D-Day
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
81 years later, veterans honor legacy of fallen D-Day heroes
(NewsNation) — Friday marks the 81st anniversary of D-Day, a pivotal moment in World War II that helped lead to the defeat of Nazi Germany. World War II veterans gathered in Normandy to honor those who gave their lives to end Nazi tyranny. Among the heroes remembered was Henry Langrehr, an Iowa native who parachuted into Normandy at age 19 and later stormed the beaches during D-Day. He endured immense hardship, including time as a prisoner of war, and died five weeks ago at 100. 'At that young age, answering the call of service, sacrificing everything he could for a land of unknown,' Command Sgt. Maj. Evan Lewandowski told 'Morning in America' from Normandy. 'They didn't have a real connection of belonging to it, but to do what they did and liberate the country, and the amazing sacrifice and heroic actions that took place.' Military zones at US-Mexico border could mean trespassing charges for migrants Lewandowski met Langrehr during last year's anniversary of D-Day. The two connected and walked through Sainte-Mère-Église, where Langrehr shared memories of his time there during the war. Nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy on June 6, 1944, in the largest-ever armada of ships, troops, planes and vehicles to breach Hitler's defenses in western Europe. Of those, 73,000 were from the United States and 83,000 from Britain and Canada. Forces from several other countries were also involved, including French troops fighting with Gen. Charles de Gaulle. The Allies faced around 50,000 German forces. A total of 4,414 Allied troops were killed, including 2,501 Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
