An aerial search for two American mountaineers missing in Pakistan was suspended on Sunday, after an initial flight showed no sign of the men but indicated an avalanche on the peak they were climbing.
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Utah climbers Kyle Dempster, 33, and Scott Adamson, 34, were attempting to summit the treacherous north face of the 22,835-feet (6,960m) Ogre 2 peak in the Karakoram mountain range.
“The helicopter search was suspended after authorities did not get the go-ahead from their families and friends”, Karrar Haidri, a spokesman for the Alpine Club of Pakistan told AFP.
“The search for the two American climbers can only be called off by their family”, he said.
“Given the time that has elapsed and the almost continuous stormy weather since they were last seen, and the substantial risks that such high-altitude missions entail, Kyle and Scott’s families have made the extremely hard decision to end the search efforts”, according to a statement the families issued. “It was an extremely hard time for the friends and family waiting and hoping for good news”.
He said loved ones had remained optimistic that the men would be found, and are trying to come to terms with the fact that they are not coming home.
Citing the time that has passed and the unlikelihood the pair survived, the families made the decision to end the search.
US media said both men are accomplished climbers, and Dempster had won the prestigious Piolet d’Or alpine climbing award twice. They were last seen the next day about halfway up the peak before a snow storm moved in. When they did not return as planned 10 days later, the Alpine Club raised the alarm. They did not return on the expected date, sparking concerns.
The two friends had tried to summit the treacherous north face of Ogre 2 a year ago – but turned back after Adamson broke his leg in a fall.
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Ogre 2 is one of the steepest peaks in the region and was ascended only three times between 1977 and 2012, said Ayaz Shigri of the Baltistan Tour Operator Association.
