Three mountaineers – two from the US and one from Canada – missing for five days on AorakiNew Zealand’s highest peak is believed to have died in a fall, authorities said Friday.
The men’s bodies have not been found. But based on footprints spotted in the snow during an aerial search, and items believed to belong to them recovered from the slopes this week, the search for them has ended, Police Commander Inspector Vicki Walker told reporters.
The Americans – Kurt Blair, 56, from Colorado and Carlos Romero, 50, from California – were certified mountain guides, according to the website of the nonprofit American Mountain Guides Association. New Zealand authorities have not named the Canadian climber at the request of his family.
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The men flew to a hut halfway up the mountain on Saturday to begin their climb and were reported missing on Monday when they did not arrive after the climb to pick up their agreed transport. Searchers hours later found several climbing-related items believed to belong to the men, but there was no trace of them, police said.
A search was stalled for three days due to harsh weather conditions in the area. On Friday, drone operators spotted footprints in the snow and more objects that authorities believe belonged to the men.
“After considering the number of days the climbers have been missing, no communications, the items we recovered and our explorations today, we do not believe the men survived,” Walker said. “We think they fell.”
The search would resume if more evidence came to light, but the men’s deaths have been referred to a coroner, Walker added.
CBS News Bay Area reportsRomero is a native of Livermore, California, and worked as a guide for SWS Mountain Guides, based in Mount Shasta. He led several climbing expeditions to the Andes and is an accredited rock guide, alpine guide and ski guide.
“He was so gracious and shared with younger guides, and shared with all guides to make them better guides and safer guides,” Timothy Keating, CEO of SWS Mountain Guides, told CBS News Bay Area on Wednesday.
When asked about the climb, Keating said: “Never doubt an accident like that… You’re never in the same situation, you can’t doubt someone’s decisions or their movements.”
Also known as Mount Cook, Aoraki is 3,724 meters high and is part of the Southern Alps, the scenic and icy mountain range that stretches the length of New Zealand’s South Island. A settlement of the same name at the base is a destination for domestic and foreign tourists.
The summit is popular among experienced climbers. The terrain is technically difficult due to gorges, avalanche danger, changeable weather and glacier movements.
Since the early 20th century, more than 240 deaths have been recorded on the mountain and in the surrounding national park.
