The son of a stricken climber ‘left to die’ on a 24,406ft peak has pleaded for help to rescue her – claiming his mother is ‘still alive’.
On Monday, the authorities in Kyrgyzstan abandoned attempts to extricate Natalia, also known as Natasha Nagovitsina, 47, from Victory Peak due to bad weather.
She was marooned with a broken leg at 22,965ft on the mountain two weeks ago today – and rescuers chiefs say they do not believe she is still alive.
But her son Mikhail Nagovitsin, 27, has appealed for the Russian authorities to attempt their own rescue.
‘I request that the search be resumed,’ he pleaded.
He was shocked that the rescue attempts had been ‘completely suspended’ by the Kyrgyz authorities.
‘My mother is an experienced climber… and is also in very good shape,’ he said.
‘I am sure that she is alive and wants the search to be resumed.’
Russian mountaineer Natalia, also known as Natasha Nagovitsina, 47, has been trapped at 22,965ft on Victory Peak in Kyrgyzstan, which has a summit height of 24,406ft
Drone footage filmed seven days after losing contact showed clear movement from the sleeping bag she has been sheltering in
The Kyrgyzstan Ministry of Emergency Situations confirmed the rescue mission has been called off
As a minimum, one more drone flight should be carried out to check for signs of life, he said.
The last footage showing the mountaineer alive was revealed, showing her clearly moving and ‘waving’ at a drone sent up to monitor her on Tuesday, August 19.
It also showed her tent torn by the ferocious winds in the spot where she was seeking shelter at 22,965ft under a large rock called the ‘Bird’.
‘In the video I received, it is clearly visible that seven days after losing contact, she is actively waving her hand, full of strength,’ he said.
In an appeal to Vladimir Putin’s government after the Kyrgyzstan authorities aborted rescue attempts, he said: ‘I ask for assistance in organising aerial video shooting of the Peak Pobeda [the Russian name for Victory Peak] area using drones to confirm the fact that she is alive.
‘If this fact is confirmed, then organise a rescue operation.’
Four years ago, Mikhail’s father Sergei died at a similar altitude on another mountain after suffering a stroke on a climb.
Famously, Natalia defied orders to abandon him to die and remained with him through a blizzard, declaring she was unafraid of dying.
On Monday a final effort to climb to Nagovitsina was abandoned just 3,600ft below where she is stuck, with the weather set to worsen, as the team were ordered to return to base
Previous rescue efforts for the climber failed due to bad weather
Nagovitsina went viral in 2021 after she refused to leave her husband Sergei (right), after he suffered a stroke at 22,000ft
She survived by a miracle in 2021 after comforting him on the mountain, but was unable to save him.
The son’s plea for a new attempt comes amid criticisms of the rescue attempts in the last two weeks.
There had been hopes of a window in the bad weather on Monday to enable a new drone flight to the ‘death zone’ where she was trapped, where temperatures plummeted to -30C at the weekend.
But rescuers said the weather had not improved and a drone flight was not made.
A light rescue helicopter and its Italian crew departed from the area and officials said her body would be recovered next spring.
But a shocked Mikhail said: ‘They were waiting for a weather window.
‘[On] 25th August the forecast predicted good weather.
‘But there was no good weather on the mountain.
Russian climber Natalia Nagovitsina, 47, trapped with a broken leg since August 12 on 24,406ft Victory Peak in Kyrgyzstan, was filmed waving to a drone on August 19
The last footage showing the mountaineer alive was revealed, showing her clearly moving and ‘waving’ at a drone sent up to monitor her
Mikhail Nagovitsin, son of stricken mountaineer Natalia Nagovitsina, pleads for help for his mother who is ‘still alive’
Famously, Natalia defied orders to abandon her husband to die and remained with him through a blizzard, declaring she was unafraid of dying
‘And they continued to wait for a weather window – but this morning, the entire rescue operation was disbanded, and the reason is unknown.
‘This fact alarms me.’
But Ilim Karypbekov, vice president of the Kyrgyz Mountaineering Federation, defended abandoning the operation.
‘Professional pilots flew in from Italy,’ he said.
‘But when they flew to the area by helicopter, the weather was not favourable.
‘Before that, they invited a drone pilot who was ordered to probe the area, but it was not possible.
‘And the forecast said that in the coming week, five or six days, the weather would not be stable enough to fly a helicopter, let alone a drone.
‘So they called it off.
One climber did reach Natalia, but was unable to bring her down and tragically died on the way back
‘They saw that there was no point in waiting that long.
‘No one could survive that long.
‘They decided that it was pointless to wait any longer. In the end, it became clear that they would only be able to reach Natalia next season.’
The last climb to reach her was abandoned on Friday just 3,600ft below her.
Earlier, a helicopter had crash landed, injuring rescuers seeking to save her.
One climber did reach her, but was unable to bring her down.
Heroic Italian mountaineer Luca Sinigaglia, 49, brought her a tent, sleeping bag, food, water and a gas cooker.
He tragically died on his own way back to report on her condition and arrange a full-scale rescue.
Anna Piunova, deputy head of the Russian Mountaineering Federation, criticised the rescue attempts.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .