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20h ago

Survivor of Deadly Climbing Fall Awaits Recovery as Anchor Failure Investigated

Anton Tselykh is in stable but critical condition after surviving a 400-foot fall that killed three climbers, with investigators probing the failure of an old piton anchor.

The Okanogan County Search and Rescue team responds to a climbing accident in the North Cascades mountains in Washington on Sunday, May 11, 2025. (Okanogan County Sheriff's Office via AP)
A view of the remote Northern Cascades, North Early Winter Spire which is a challenging climb with a sheer rock face, in Washington.
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Overview

  • Three climbers—Vishnu Irigireddy, Tim Nguyen, and Oleksander Martynenko—died after a 400-foot fall in Washington's North Cascades on May 11.
  • Anton Tselykh, the sole survivor, sustained head trauma and internal injuries but managed a remarkable self-rescue, crawling to his car and driving for help.
  • Authorities believe the fall was caused by a weathered piton anchor, possibly left by a prior climbing party, which failed during the group's descent.
  • Search and rescue teams used GPS coordinates and helicopters to recover the victims' bodies from the remote and rugged terrain.
  • Tselykh remains hospitalized in Seattle, with investigators awaiting his full account to better understand the sequence of events and anchor failure.