Rescue Mission Abandoned for Woman Trapped 22,000ft Kyrgyzstan Peak

Rescue efforts for Russian mountaineer Natalia Nagovitsina, who has been trapped with a broken leg at nearly 23,000 feet on Victory Peak in Kyrgyzstan for ten days, have been called off due to worsening weather and extreme conditions. Despite multiple attempts, including the delivery of supplies by Italian climber Luca Sinigaglia, efforts to bring her down failed, with Sinigaglia tragically dying from hypothermia and low oxygen exposure during the rescue. Helicopter rescue attempts were also thwarted, including a crash of a defence ministry Mi-8 helicopter and zero visibility forcing withdrawal of a Mi-17VM helicopter mission. A final climb was abandoned 3,600 feet below Nagovitsina’s location after the lead rescuer developed health issues related to the crash, and the team was ordered back to base camp. The rescue leader expressed doubt that Nagovitsina could have survived the harsh conditions since August 12. This tragic situation contrasts with a separate, successful rescue in Tennessee where a woman with a possible broken leg was safely carried out of a park trail and taken to a hospital for treatment.