Malaysian climber who died near the top of Alaska’s Denali, North America’s highest peak, identified

DENALI PARK, Alaska – A Malaysian climber probably died from exposure and altitude-related illnesses earlier this week after sheltering for days in a snow cave with minimal survival equipment near the top of Denali, North America’s highest mountain in Alaska, park officials said Saturday.

Zulkifli Bin Yusof, 36, likely died Wednesday in a 19,600-foot (5,974-meter) cave in Denali National Park and Preserve, park spokesman Paul Ollig said Saturday. The National Park Service recovered his body Friday night, Ollig said.

Yusof was part of a three-man climbing team, all with an address listed as Alpine Club of Malaysia in Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, according to Ollig. Yusof’s two partners survived.

Rangers first received an SOS message from staff at 1 a.m. Tuesday, indicating that the climbers were hypothermic and unable to descend after reaching the summit of the 20,000-foot Alaskan mountain.

One of the men, aged 48, was rescued on Tuesday night after descending to a camp at 17,200 feet (5,243 meters). He was described by the park as having severe frostbite and hypothermia.

On Thursday night, the pilot of the park’s high-altitude helicopter managed to drop a bag of survival gear near the snow cave and saw a climber waving to him, but high winds prevented a rescue at that time, the park said. .

The other climber, aged 47, was rescued on Friday morning, after days of cloudy and windy conditions.

Two of the three men had previous experience on Denali, Ollig said. All three had previously climbed other high-altitude mountains, he said.

The hiker rescued Friday was taken to an Anchorage hospital for further care and “was in surprisingly strong condition, walking alone, considering what he suffered,” Ollig previously said. The name of the climber and additional information about him and the other survivor will not be released by the park.

The other climber is also recovering in a hospital.