Two climbers die after falling and two others are rescued in New Zealand

Two climbers died on Aoraki, New Zealand’s highest peak, and two others from the same group were rescued, authorities said Tuesday.

The bodies of the dead climbers were found and specialist searchers were working to recover them “in a challenging alpine environment”, police area commander Inspector Vicki Walker said. None of the climbers have been publicly identified, but the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association said in a statement that one of those who died was a member of its organization and the other was a client of that guide.

Sergeant. Kevin McErlain told the Timaru Herald the pair had been linked by a rope when they fell near the summit of Aoraki, also known as Mount Cook.

Authorities learned Monday night local time that four climbers needed help on the mountain, which is located on New Zealand’s South Island. Two of the climbers were rescued by helicopter in the early hours of Tuesday morning, Walker said.

They were unharmed. Search teams in two helicopters searched throughout the night for the other climbers, who were found dead hours later.

Aoraki is 12,218 feet high and is part of the Southern Alps, the picturesque, icy mountain range that stretches across the South Island. A settlement of the same name at its base is a destination for domestic and foreign tourists.

The peak is popular with experienced climbers. Its terrain is technically difficult due to crevasses, avalanche risk, changing climate and moving glaciers.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, more than 240 deaths have been recorded on the mountain and in the surrounding national park. Dozens of those who died on the mountain have never been found.

This includes three men, two from the United States and one from Canadawho was believed to have died in Aoraki in December 2024. The Americans, Kurt Blair, 56, from Colorado, and Carlos Romero, 50, from California, were certified alpine guides.

The climbers were missing for five days before New Zealand authorities stopped their search, saying discoveries of their belongings suggested the men had fallen to their deaths.

The deaths of the two climbers in New Zealand follow a series of other deaths on some of the world’s highest and most famous peaks in recent months.

Earlier this month, an avalanche devastated a camp on Mount Yalung Ri in Nepal and killed five foreign climbers and two guides at an altitude of 16,070 feet.

Last month, popular Alaska climber Balin Miller fell to his death from El Capitan of Yosemite National Park.

In August, Russian climber Natalia Nagovitsyna dies after she was stranded on Kyrgyzstan’s highest peak after breaking her leg. That same month, a Chinese climber dies after being hit by falling rocks on K2, the second highest peak in the world.

In July, German mountaineer and Olympic gold medalist, Laura DahlmeierHe died while trying to climb another peak in the region.