The bodies of mountaineers from Belarus and Lithuania who went missing in Kyrgyzstan have likely been found on the slopes of Kuruмdy Peak. This was reported on a website dedicated to the search for the athletes. It will be possible to confirm with certainty that the bodies are those of the missing mountaineers only after they are brought down from the mountain.
“Today we have the most difficult news of all these days.
On the morning of Aug. 16, during a drone flight over the slope, the site of a snow-and-rock slide was recorded. While reviewing the footage of the debris, next to the items found earlier, we saw what is highly likely to be the bodies of members of the group.
We have to be precise in our wording, so we will say exactly what we have. The footage does not show people: almost everything is hidden under snow and rocks. We can see cramponed boots, pieces of equipment and clothing, and outlines that we interpret as bodies. This can only be said with certainty after the descent, when identification will also become possible. Until then, we will not give any names or details. The families know everything.
There is one thing we can say with confidence, and it is important to us. The finds on the slope are connected by a rope: the climbers were moving as a roped team. Over these days, we have found the belongings of all three farther down the slope. This means the group did not split up; they were together at the time of the accident and remain together now. None of them was left alone on the slope”, the statement said.
It is noted that a fresh fracture zone is visible on the ridge at an altitude of about 5,400 meters. All the estimated fall lines that search teams plotted based on the items found converge there.
“Ahead is a careful review of all the footage and preparation for the operation to bring the bodies down. The site is in an area where rocks and snow fall, and the risks must be assessed before people go there. The safety of rescuers is a mandatory condition for any further work. As soon as a decision is made, we will report it”, the search organizers added.
Belarusians Maksim Palianski and Mikalai Svirydau, as well as Lithuanian citizen Sergey Rubtsov, have been out of contact since Aug. 2, it will be recalled. The group was climbing to Kurumdy Peak along the northern ridge. On Aug. 1 at 10:30 a.m., the mountaineers reached Kuruмdy Peak. Aug. 2 was their last contact. The group said that after descending they would be ready to leave on Aug. 4, but they never reached the designated location.
