Repatriation of three Latvian climbers who died on Denali completed

Latvia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has told the LETA news agency that the repatriation of three Latvian climbers who died on Alaska's Mount Denali has been completed. The process was organized by Latvian insurance companies working with partner firms in the United States and followed procedures set by US authorities, the ministry said.

What happened on Denali

In late May, three Latvian climbers — Inese Pučeka, Vija Olte and Renārs Kunigs-Salaks — died after falling on a steep slope of Denali, the highest mountain in North America. Expedition member Mārtiņš Bilzēns was taken to a hospital in Anchorage in serious condition, while three other team members — Puriņš, Edgars Madžulis and Guntis Svariņš — were evacuated from the mountain with rescuers' help, two of them suffering frostbite.

According to information from Latvia's embassy in the US, the bodies of all three victims were brought down from the mountain on the night of June 4, Latvia time. The US National Park Service said the accident occurred on the route between the High Camp and Denali Pass, at an altitude of around 5,545 meters. The service reported receiving two separate notifications that night — first about two climbers being evacuated, then about four more falling from a seven-member team. Three climbers returned to High Camp on their own after helping their fallen teammates.

A demanding expedition

The Latvian team's expedition was scheduled to run from May 10 to June 11, with the goal of reaching Denali's 6,190-meter summit, the highest point in North America and the tallest peak closest to the Arctic Circle. The climbers had previously said the main challenge was not so much the altitude as the cold — temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees, storms, and more than three weeks living in a tent while hauling heavy gear. Several expedition members, including Pučeka, had prior high-altitude experience, having reached multiple 7,000-meter peaks in the Pamir mountains.