Despite suffering internal bleeding and head trauma, the sole survivor of a rock climbing accident trekked for over 12 hours to find a pay phone to call for help.
Four friends went rock climbing on Saturday, May 10 near North Early Winters Spire, a granite peak located about 16 miles west of Mazama off State Route 20 in the North Cascades.
The formation is a well-known destination for climbers due to its steep rock faces and alpine environment.
According to the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office, it’s believed the group fell during a failed rappelling descent— a technique used to slide down a rope anchored at the top of a cliff or rock face.
The surviving climber, Anton Tselykh, 38, extricated himself from a tangle of ropes, helmets and other equipment after the fall. Despite suffering internal bleeding and head trauma, Tselykh eventually, over at least a dozen hours, made the trek to the pay phone, Okanogan County Undersheriff Dave Yarnell said.
He was later taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and was in satisfactory condition at last check.
The Okanogan County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased as:
- Vishnu Irigireddy, 48, of Renton
- Tim Nguyen, 63, of Renton
- Oleksander Martynenko, 36, of Bellevue
CBS News contributed to this report.
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