Latest news with #NorthCascadeRange
The Independent
15-05-2025
- The Independent
Climber describes how he narrowly survived 400-foot fall that killed 3 others
A Washington rock climber survived a devastating fall that claimed the lives of his three companions, authorities reported. Anton Tselykh, 38, recounted the harrowing experience from his Seattle hospital bed, confirming investigators' suspicions about the cause of the tragedy. The group was rappelling down the Early Winters Spires in the North Cascade Range when a crucial anchor, known as a piton, failed. One climber was actively rappelling off the metal spike, driven into the rock face, when it gave way. The other three climbers, including Tselykh, were tethered to the same anchor, awaiting their descent. The piton's failure sent all four plummeting an estimated 400 feet. Tselykh lay unconscious for hours following the fall. Upon regaining consciousness in the darkness, he managed to hike out and drive to a pay phone to call for help. This account, relayed by Tselykh to Snohomish County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue coordinator Cristina Woodworth, corroborates the investigators' initial assessment of the accident. Tselykh lost consciousness after the fall for several hours before awaking in the dark in a tangle of ropes and gear. Woodsworth said he had internal bleeding and head trauma. It took Tselykh eight hours to disentangle himself, work his way down the rough terrain of rock and snow — with help from a pick-like ice tool — to his car, drive to a nearby town and call for help, Woodworth said. The four climbers were friends, some of whom had climbed together before and appeared fairly experienced, Woodworth said, adding that Tselykh was 'obviously very much affected by this.' The climbers who were killed were Vishnu Irigireddy, 48; Tim Nguyen, 63; and Oleksander Martynenko, 36, the Okanogan County coroner said. Olga Martynenko, Martynenko's wife, said Tuesday in a Facebook post that her husband, whom she referred to as Alex, also left behind their son. She shared a link to a fundraiser to help 'during the most devastating time of our lives.' 'I still cannot believe that you are gone, my love,' she said.
The Independent
14-05-2025
- The Independent
Climber who survived 400-foot fall that killed 3 others was unconscious before seeking pay phone
A rock climber in Washington who survived a fall of hundreds of feet that killed his three companions lay unconscious for hours before waking in the dark, trekking out and driving to a pay phone to summon help, authorities said he told them on Wednesday. Speaking from a Seattle hospital, Anton Tselykh, 38, confirmed investigators' theory that an anchor, called a piton, that he and his companions were using to rappel down the Early Winters Spires in the North Cascade Range had failed. One climber was rappelling off the piton, a metal spike pounded into rock cracks or ice that climbers anchor their ropes to, when it tore out of the rock. The three other men, who were also tied into the anchor, were waiting to descend when it came loose, plunging all four roughly 400 feet (121 meters), said Cristina Woodworth, who leads the sheriff's search and rescue team and spoke with Tselykh by phone. Tselykh lost consciousness after the fall for several hours before awaking in the dark in a tangle of ropes and gear. Woodsworth said he had internal bleeding and head trauma. It took Tselykh eight hours to disentangle himself, work his way down the rough terrain of rock and snow — with help from a pick-like ice tool — to his car, drive to a nearby town and call for help, Woodworth said. The four climbers were friends, some of whom had climbed together before and appeared fairly experienced, Woodworth said, adding that Tselykh was 'obviously very much affected by this.' The climbers who were killed were Vishnu Irigireddy, 48; Tim Nguyen, 63; and Oleksander Martynenko, 36, the Okanogan County coroner said. Olga Martynenko, Martynenko's wife, said Tuesday in a Facebook post that her husband, whom she referred to as Alex, also left behind their son. She shared a link to a fundraiser to help 'during the most devastating time of our lives.' 'I still cannot believe that you are gone, my love,' she said.
