Rescue efforts for injured climber Natalia Nagovitsyna, stranded on Kyrgyzstan’s Victory Peak mountain for 12 days, are dwindling due to worsening weather conditions. Nagovitsyna, a Russian mountaineer, broke her leg on August 12 while descending from the summit of Jengish Chokusu, where she was attempting to reach after another climber, Luca Sinigaglia, died on the mountain on August 15.
A group of climbers managed to reach Nagovitsyna and provided her with supplies, but were unable to evacuate her due to treacherous weather. The last surveillance drone spotted Nagovitsyna on a ridge near the summit on August 19, indicating she was believed to be alive at that time. However, deteriorating conditions led authorities to suspend search efforts.
Nagovitsyna’s husband, Sergei Nagovitsyn, died during an expedition to another Snow Leopard peak, and Natalia reportedly refused to leave his side until rescuers arrived. The extreme weather conditions on Victory Peak, which stands at 24,400 feet above sea level, make it one of the world’s most challenging mountains to climb.
Only a handful of climbers, including 30 women, have successfully summited all five Snow Leopard peaks, a feat considered a major achievement in mountaineering. Nagovitsyna’s situation remains uncertain, and CNN continues to follow this developing story.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/24/world/russia-mountaineer-rescue-efforts-intl