Two foreign mountaineers, stranded at a height of over 6,000 metres on Chaukhamba III in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, remain untraced despite helicopter searches by the Indian Air Force (IAF), local authorities confirmed on Friday.
The climbers, identified as Michelle Theresa Dvorak from the United States and Fav Jane Manners from the United Kingdom, were part of a foreign mountaineering expedition organised by the India Mountaineering Foundation.
Chamoli district magistrate, Sandeep Tiwari, said, "Efforts are underway, and we have sought the assistance of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to aid the rescue operation."
According to officials, the two women became stranded after losing their logistical and technical equipment at a height of 6,015 metres while attempting to scale the 6,995-metre Chaukhamba III peak.
IAF helicopters commenced search operations at 8 am on Friday, but despite repeated attempts, neither climber has been traced nor made contact. A formal request has been made to the SDRF commandant to deploy additional personnel for the ongoing search and rescue effort.
The district magistrate promptly alerted the Indian Defence Ministry’s Department of Military Affairs at 11 pm on Thursday, seeking immediate aerial rescue for the climbers.
Rescue operations will continue as authorities race against time to locate the missing mountaineers.
Follow us
