Malaysian climber who died near Alaska's Denali summit identified – Arctic Eye

A Malaysian mountaineer likely died of cold and altitude-related illnesses earlier this week after sheltering for days in a snow cave with minimal survival equipment near the summit of Denali, Australia's highest mountain. North America in Alaska, park officials announced Saturday.

Zulkifli Bin Yusof, 36, likely died Wednesday in a cave at 18,000 feet (5,974 meters) elevation in Denali National Park and Preserve, park spokesman Paul Ollig said Saturday.

The National Park Service recovered his body Friday evening, Ollig said.

Yusof was part of a three-man climbing team, whose address was the Malaysian Alpine Club in Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, according to Ollig.

Both of Yusof's partners survived.

Park rangers first received an SOS message from the team at 1 a.m. Tuesday, saying the climbers were hypothermic and unable to descend after reaching the Alaska mountain's 6,190-meter summit .

One of the men, aged 48, was rescued on Tuesday evening after descending to a camp at an altitude of 5,243 metres. He was described by the park as suffering from severe frostbite and hypothermia.

On Thursday evening, the pilot of the park's high-altitude helicopter was able to drop a bag of survival gear near the snow cave and saw a climber waving at him, but high winds prevented rescue at the time. -there, indicated the park.

The other climber, a 47-year-old man, was rescued Friday morning after cloudy and windy days.

Two of the three men had previous experience in Denali, Ollig said.

All three had previously climbed other high-altitude mountains, he said.

The climber rescued Friday was evacuated to an Anchorage hospital for further treatment and “was in surprisingly strong condition, even walking on his own, considering what he endured,” Ollig said previously.

The climber's name and additional information about him and the other survivor have not been released by the park.

The other climber is also recovering in hospital.

Related stories from across the North:

Canada: Crew member in 'critical but stable' condition after barge crash in Iqaluit Friday, CBC News

UNITED STATES: Japanese climber dies after fall on Alaska's Mount Denali, The Associated Press