Two Climbers Fall on Mount McKinley

Filed in archive Mountain Climbing on May 18, 2007

On Thursday night, Mizuki Takahashi and Brian Massey died on Mount McKinley in Denali National Park and Reserve after they fell 1,900 feet. It's believed they were experienced climbers. There was an unidentified third member in their group who stayed behind.

Please keep their family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.

It seems falls are becoming more and more common these days. A few weeks ago, Jonathan Morrow and Alan Mooney fell on Grand Teton and Lara Kellogg fell on Mount Wake. This recent fall reminds us of the dangers involved in mountain climbing. All five of the climbers were experienced.

Fister said members of a mountaineering ranger patrol at the 17,200-foot level witnessed the fall that began just shy of the 19,000-foot mark.

The roped pair fell to an elevation level just below where the patrol was stationed.

Massey was a two-year firefighter for the Kent, Wash., Fire Department, said Kent Fire Department spokesman Capt. Kyle Ohashi.

As of mid-afternoon Friday, both climbers remained on the mountain until flying conditions permit a recovery, Fister said.

It was the first climbing fatality on the 20,320-foot peak since May 2005 when two Ohio men died, Fister said.

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