When you can’t see your hands: the rescue of the climbers on Elbrus

Kremlin today

On September 23, a group of 20 tourists (4 guides and 16 participants) was overtaken on Elbrus by bad weather. At an altitude of more than five kilometres, in a 20-degree frost and wind of 40-70 m/s a SOS signal was sent.

According to the expedition organizer, at 10 a.m. one of the participants became ill. The group was divided: the main part continued climbing, and one of the guides remained with the victim.

“The woman who was accompanied by the tour guide lost consciousness, he tried to revive her, but she died in his arms within an hour. It happened at 11:15, he fixed her on the saddle by the path, marked her place with a backpack, and began to wait for the group”, –  said the organizer in an interview “Interfax”.

After a long wait of the core team, a distress call was sent. Rescue teams were dispatched. The organizer clarified that he had subsequently received information from the ratrac drivers about the rescue of the group.

According to them: “one of the participants broke his leg and the group probably lost time trying to assist him. They decided to divide the group into fast and slow ones. Those who walk quickly left with the same guides, those who are slower with others”.

Source: Yandex

Twelve vehicles and a 40-member MES team participated in the rescue operation. Fourteen climbers with severe frostbite and injuries were successfully brought down for medical treatment. 11 victims were rushed to the clinical hospital of Nalchik.

“Eight people are in the burn unit, one person is in intensive care with broken bones and shin, three people are in general therapy with general hypothermia”, – said hospital surgeon Asker Bilimikhov. Three climbers refused further medical treatment.

Source: Yandex

Five tourists could not be saved. In addition to the girl, two tourists died of hypothermia on the path, and two others were brought to Garabashi station unconscious, where they died after a while.

According to the news agency TASS, the guide was a person without mountaineering experience. But according to Denis Alimov, the main guide of the group, the tragedy occurred due to sharply deteriorated weather conditions.

The IC initiated criminal proceedings under article 238, paragraph 3, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Provision of services that do not meet the requirements of safety of life and health of a consumer, resulting inadvertently in the death of two or more persons”).