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Long Rescue Saves Climber From Denali Crevasse

Martin Takac is a 38-year-old climber who was heading up the West Buttress on Denali when he fell into a crevasse. It took 14 hours of rotating rescue efforts in the deep hole to save him.

The National Park Service reported that they responded to a report of an unroped climber who fell 15 metres down a crevasse.

Martin Takac on Kilimanjaro

Mountain guide Bill Allen was nearby and called over by Takac’s partner. Takac was wedged in the cravase and couldn’t move.

Hours after the report, two rescuers flew in from Talkeetna to join others on the scene. The five of them took turns rappelling down to chip ice away to free Takac.

West Buttress of Denali

Later that day, he was pulled up in critical condition and flown to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Takac had been part of a larger party that were descending after reaching the summit.

The park service had registered 1,084 climbers in 2017 and 527 were on the mountain, 386 climbers had completed their climbs and 122 had reached the top.

Watch the footage below of a snowboarder who fell into a crevasse in Chamaonix and was rescued.

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