Alaska Tragedy: Family Collects Funds for Injured Climber's Transport to Latvia

Final preparations are underway to bring the bodies of the Latvian climbers who died on Denali in Alaska back to Latvia as soon as possible, said Diāna Eglīte, press secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Latvian embassy is involved in and monitoring the repatriation process. Due to administrative procedures of Alaskan authorities, document preparation takes several weeks, Eglīte explained.

Meanwhile, the injured climber Mārtiņš Bilzēns remains in a hospital in Alaska, but his condition has improved. The embassy is in regular contact with the hospital and Bilzēns' family, and is providing support in preparing his return to Latvia. Bilzēns' family has asked for donations to cover his transport costs. On the platform "Ziedot.lv", 112,000 euros have been collected since June 11.

As reported, three Latvian climbers – Inese Pučeka, Vija Olte, and Renārs Kunigs-Salaks – died in late May after falling from a steep slope of Denali, the highest mountain in North America. Another expedition member, Bilzēns, was taken to a hospital in Anchorage in serious condition. The other three climbers – Puriņš, Edgars Madžulis, and Guntis Svariņš – were evacuated from the mountain with the help of rescuers; two of them suffered frostbite.

According to the Latvian embassy in the USA, all three deceased climbers were brought down from Denali on the night of June 4 (Latvian time). According to the US National Park Service, the accident occurred on the climb between the High Camp and Denali Pass, starting near Denali Pass at an altitude of about 18,200 feet (5,545 meters).

The expedition team previously stated that the Latvian climbers' high-altitude expedition was planned from May 10 to June 11. The goal was to reach Denali, the highest peak in North America at 6,190 meters. Denali is the highest mountain closest to the Arctic Circle. Climbers emphasized that the expedition was more about extreme cold than altitude, expecting temperatures of minus 30 degrees Celsius, storms, and over three weeks of living in a tent in the snow, carrying a 25-kilogram backpack and initially pulling a 25-kilogram sled.