Mt. McKinley, also known as Denali, is North America’s tallest peak. Photo: Nic McPhee // Wikimedia Commons
Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 3:25 p.m PST.
Four climbers have fallen on North America’s tallest peak. A rescue is underway to aid the climbers who fell on Mount Mckinley, also known as Denali, located in Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve.
According to a National Park Service statement, two climbers were evacuated by helicopter from the mountain about 11 p.m. Then, around midnight, Park rangers received a second report that four climbers from a seven-member climbing team had fallen around Denali pass at 18,200 feet. Three members of the team returned to High Camp at 17,000 feet after attending to the fallen climbers.
Park Service spokesperson Scott Carr told CBS that park officials have been in contact with the three climbers, but further information as to their status has not been forthcoming. The NPS press release stated that weather conditions on the mountain are improving and will soon enable helicopter operations.
“This remains an active incident,” continued the NPS in its statement. “The National Park Service is focused on rescue operations and notification of family members. Additional details will be released when they are confirmed and appropriate to share.”
On Friday, a Latvian mountaineering group announced that three of the fallen climbers have died. The group further explained the four fallen climbers were members of a Latvian mountaineering expedition that had been taking the West Buttress route, the most popular path to the Denali summit. According to the National Parks Service, the fourth climber was rescued and brought off the mountain by Denali National Park and Preserve search and rescue personnel late Thursday afternoon.
Though it is an instantly recognizable landmark, the actual name of Mount McKinley has been up for debate in recent years. The peak had been officially named Denali since 2015, when President Barack Obama officially changed the peak’s moniker to its Athabascan name, which means “the High One.” Even before that, Denali had already been officially recognized by the state of Alaska since 1975. In 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to change the mountain’s name back to Mount McKinley.
