A seasonal mountaineering ranger has died after plunging into a crevasse while conducting patrol duties on Mount McKinley, Alaska’s towering peak, according to the National Park Service.
Robin Pendery from Enumclaw, Washington, was working as a seasonal ranger at Denali National Park and Preserve when the fatal accident occurred Thursday. Park officials say she died despite immediate efforts to rescue her from the crevasse.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding Pendery’s death. The tragedy follows another deadly incident just seven days earlier when three members of a Latvian climbing expedition perished after falling near a dangerous pass on the mountain. A fourth member of that group survived the fall and was successfully rescued. The Latvian team was among a seven-person expedition attempting to navigate a route notorious for its dangerous exposed areas, where numerous climbers have lost their lives or suffered serious injuries throughout the years.
The accident happened close to the 14,000-foot camp on Mount McKinley, which rises approximately 20,310 feet above sea level, making it the continent’s highest peak.
“Our mountaineering rangers dedicate themselves to serving visitors and helping others in one of the most challenging environments in the world,” Denali Superintendent Brooke Merrell said in a statement Friday. “Today, we mourn the loss of a valued colleague, friend and teammate.”
