The climbers faced severe weather conditions, hampering search efforts until conditions improve.
**Search Efforts Intensify for Missing Climbers on New Zealand’s Mount Cook**
**Search Efforts Intensify for Missing Climbers on New Zealand’s Mount Cook**
Three experienced mountaineers from America and Canada remain unaccounted for following an ascent attempt.
Three mountaineers hailing from the United States and Canada have been reported missing since Monday after they failed to return from their attempt to summit Mount Cook, the tallest peak in New Zealand. The local police reported that the climbers, identified as Kurt Blair, 56, and Carlos Romero, 50, both Americans, accompanied by an unnamed Canadian, did not arrive for a booked charter flight intended to take them off the mountain.
Search operations launched to find the trio were temporarily suspended due to adverse weather conditions. Vicki Walker, commander of the local police force, explained that search teams had discovered several items related to climbing that are believed to belong to the missing men. Efforts will resume when weather permits, with hopes to possibly initiate searches again by Thursday.
The climbers had traveled to a mountain hut to initiate their ascent on Saturday afternoon. Mount Cook, also recognized by its Māori name Aoraki, rises to about 12,000 feet and is a favored destination among climbers in New Zealand's Southern Alps. While the national weather service, MetService, had not issued any cautionary alerts during the climbers' ascent, conditions swiftly deteriorated thereafter. Strong gale winds were reported on Monday, followed by warnings on Tuesday for rain and dangerously low wind chill temperatures, posing a significant risk of hypothermia.
Both American climbers are certified guides with the American Mountain Guides Association, specializing in skiing, alpine climbing, and rock climbing. The disappearance prompts concerns for their safety, as search teams prepare to resume their search amid changing weather patterns.
John Yoon is a Times reporter based in Seoul who covers breaking and trending news.
Search operations launched to find the trio were temporarily suspended due to adverse weather conditions. Vicki Walker, commander of the local police force, explained that search teams had discovered several items related to climbing that are believed to belong to the missing men. Efforts will resume when weather permits, with hopes to possibly initiate searches again by Thursday.
The climbers had traveled to a mountain hut to initiate their ascent on Saturday afternoon. Mount Cook, also recognized by its Māori name Aoraki, rises to about 12,000 feet and is a favored destination among climbers in New Zealand's Southern Alps. While the national weather service, MetService, had not issued any cautionary alerts during the climbers' ascent, conditions swiftly deteriorated thereafter. Strong gale winds were reported on Monday, followed by warnings on Tuesday for rain and dangerously low wind chill temperatures, posing a significant risk of hypothermia.
Both American climbers are certified guides with the American Mountain Guides Association, specializing in skiing, alpine climbing, and rock climbing. The disappearance prompts concerns for their safety, as search teams prepare to resume their search amid changing weather patterns.
John Yoon is a Times reporter based in Seoul who covers breaking and trending news.
