Alaskan Ranger Dies in Denali National Park
Seasonal mountaineering ranger Robin Pendery, of Enumclaw, Washington, lost her life after falling into a crevasse on the 20,310‑foot summit of Mount McKinley (now Denali) on Thursday.
The incident occurred during a routine climbing patrol on the ridge that hosts some of the world’s most exposed climbing sections.
Despite immediate rescue efforts by the National Park Service, no survivors were found and the park is still investigating the circumstances of the fall.
Pendery’s death follows the deaths of three members of a Latvian mountaineering expedition earlier this month, who fell near a treacherous pass on the same mountain; a fourth climber was rescued.
Denali’s mountaineering ranger program “dedicates itself to serving visitors and helping others in one of the most challenging environments in the world,” said Superintendent Brooke Merrell. “We mourn the loss of a valued colleague, friend, and teammate.”
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