Natalia Nagovitsina, a climber and biathlonist, is stranded with a broken leg at teh peak of Victory (Tiang), the highest point in Kyrgyzstan, at an altitude of 7,000 meters. She has been awaiting rescue for over a week [[1]].
On August 12, Nagovitsina broke her leg at approximately 7,102 meters. Her climbing partner provided initial first aid and descended to camp for assistance [[1]].an Italian and German climbing group subsequently brought her a tent, sleeping bag, fuel, and food, but were unable to facilitate her descent [[1]].
on August 14, climbers attempting a rescue suffered from frostbite and, tragically, one climber, believed to be Italian, died from cerebral edema [[1]]. A helicopter rescue attempt on august 16 resulted in a hard landing at 4,600 meters, injuring three rescuers, and preventing them from reaching Nagovitsina [[1]].
As of August 19, drone footage confirmed Nagovitsina was still alive, and a new rescue operation was being prepared [[1]]. Though, by August 20, reports indicated she was no longer showing signs of life, though this remains unconfirmed due to the difficulty of reaching her [[1]]. The temperature at the peak is around 23 degrees Celsius [[1]].
This tragedy echoes a past loss for Nagovitsina, as her husband, Sergei Nagovitsin, died in the Kyrgyzstan Mountains four years prior. He suffered a stroke near Han-Tengri’s summit, and after rescuers attempted to retrieve him, he was found to have fallen from the mountain, possibly after removing his safety harness [[1]].
