Overview
- Authorities say the four-person team was roped in pairs on a west-ridge summit attempt from Empress Hut when the guide and client fell.
- Rescuers were alerted about 11:20 p.m. local time; two climbers were airlifted uninjured around 2:15 a.m., and the other two were found dead near 7:00 a.m.
- A search-and-rescue pilot reported one climber slipped off the ridge and, being roped, pulled the second into a slide of roughly 1,500 feet.
- Police confirmed one of the deceased is a U.S. national, and consular contact has been made while next-of-kin notifications continue.
- The NZ Mountain Guides Association and Mountain Safety Council described the guide as highly respected and noted a busy season with generally favorable conditions on a peak long associated with fatal accidents.