3 Climbers Killed in Denali Fall as Survivor Is Rescued From Alaska Mountain

Three members of a Latvian climbing team have died after a fall on Denali, while one injured climber was rescued from high on the Alaska mountain in a difficult helicopter operation.

The accident happened on May 27 near Denali Pass, one of the most dangerous sections of the route to the 20,310-foot summit. The group was part of a seven-member Latvian expedition attempting to climb North America’s highest peak. Four climbers were caught in the fall, while the remaining three members of the team were not injured and initially helped their teammates before returning to camp.

Rescue teams later reached the surviving climber in a basin at about 17,200 feet. Conditions on the mountain made a normal helicopter landing impossible, so crews used a long-line extraction, a high-risk rescue method where the injured person is lifted beneath the aircraft. The survivor was taken to Kahiltna Base Camp and then transferred by air ambulance for hospital care.

The Latvian Mountaineering Association identified the three climbers who died as Inese Puceka, Vija Olte and Renars Kunigs-Salaks. The surviving climber was identified as Martin Bilzens and was reported to be in critical condition.

Officials said the operation has now moved from rescue to recovery. The other three members of the Latvian expedition were later evacuated from the mountain after their physical condition declined, according to reports.

Denali is known to Alaska Native communities as “The High One.” The mountain was officially renamed Denali by former President Barack Obama in 2015, though the federal name was later restored to Mount McKinley under the Trump administration. Despite the naming debate, climbers and many Alaskans continue to widely use Denali.

The mountain’s height is only one part of its danger. Denali’s extreme cold, sudden storms, hard ice, exposed ridges and remote location make rescue operations especially difficult. The section near Denali Pass has long been treated with caution by mountaineers because a mistake at altitude can quickly become fatal.

According to the National Park Service, Denali National Park and Preserve covers a vast wilderness where weather and terrain can change rapidly. More than 130 people have died on the mountain over the park’s history, making every major accident a reminder of the risks climbers face even with planning and experience.

The latest tragedy also comes after a deadly 2025 season on the mountain. A 41-year-old climber from Seattle died after falling about 3,000 feet from the West Buttress route. Days later, Washington skier Nicholas Vizzini, 29, was killed when an avalanche carried him more than 1,500 feet down the same route.

For Latvia’s climbing community, the loss is deeply personal. The deaths of three climbers from the same expedition have turned what began as a summit attempt into one of the most painful mountaineering accidents reported on Denali in recent years.

The focus now remains on recovery efforts, the condition of the survivor and the unanswered question of what led to the fall near Denali Pass. The accident is also likely to renew discussion about high-altitude safety, expedition decision-making and the limits of rescue work in one of the world’s harshest mountain environments.

For more mountain and expedition coverage, read Swikblog’s report on Everest crowding fears after a record 274 climbers reached the summit in one day.

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