Rappelling accident in Washington state leaves 3 climbers dead

Three climbers were killed and one survived after a rappelling accident in Washington’s North Cascades National Park, according to officials.

The accident occurred around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, as a group of four climbers from the Seattle area was descending a steep gully in the area of North Early Winters Spire, located off State Route 20 approximately 16 miles west of Mazama.

Authorities believe the group experienced an anchor failure while rappelling, though an investigation remains ongoing.

One member of the party was able to self-rescue and contact law enforcement. The three other climbers were pronounced dead at the scene. Their bodies were recovered with the help of the Snohomish County Helicopter Rescue Team due to the technical and remote nature of the terrain.

On Tuesday, the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the identities of the victims as Vishnu Irigireddy, 48, and Tim Nguyen, 63, both of Renton, and Oleksander Martynenko, 36, of Bellevue. The survivor was identified as Anton Tselykh, 38, of Seattle.

“This terrible climbing incident has brought global attention to the climbing world,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Please respect the feelings of all those affected by this tragedy.”

North Early Winters Spire is a popular granite peak in the Liberty Bell Group of the North Cascades and is popular among experienced climbers.