Overview

• Shaikh Hassan Khan and his Tamil Nadu companion were located on June 19 and are safely descending from Camp 5 with no serious health issues.
• The climbers had been stranded at nearly 17,000 feet since June 18 amid a fierce storm, prompting an SOS that cited dwindling food and water supplies.
• The Indian Embassy in Washington worked with Denali National Park rangers to establish contact and guide the duo’s self-extrication.
• Intervention by Shashi Tharoor, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Anto Antony and other Indian leaders accelerated diplomatic outreach and US rescue efforts.
• Khan paused his Kerala government job for a five-year sabbatical to pursue his Seven Summits Expedition and was climbing to unfurl a banner honouring the Indian Army’s Operation Sindoor.