Robbi Mecus, 52, of Keene Valley, New York, died of injuries sustained in a fall Thursday while climbing a route on the southeast face of the 8,400-foot Mount Johnson, the park said.
Her climbing partner, a 30-year-old woman from California, was seriously injured and was rescued Friday and flown to an Anchorage hospital, park officials said.
Another climbing party witnessed the fall and reported it around 10:45 p.m. Thursday.
They dug a snow cave and tended to the hurt climber, according to a statement from the park.
Early Friday a rescue helicopter and two mountaineering rangers were able to rescue the injured climber, who was later medevacked for additional care.
They returned to the mountain later to recover Mecus’ body but were forced back by deteriorating weather, the statement said.
In a statement posted to social media, New York Department of Environmental Conservation interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said that Mecus was an “incredible, passionate ranger.”
“Over her 25-year career with DEC, Ranger Mecus demonstrated an unparalleled passion for protecting the environment and New Yorkers,” Mahar said.
According to a statement from park officials, a climber died after falling approximately 1,000 feet while on a steep, technical route in Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve. The climber’s body was recovered by a helicopter crew on Saturday.
According to the park, Robbi Mecus, 52, of Keene Valley, New York, passed away on Thursday from wounds she received in a fall while ascending a route on the southeast face of 8,400-foot Mount Johnson. The 30-year-old Californian woman who accompanied her on the climb was critically hurt; she was saved on Friday and taken to a hospital in Anchorage, according to park officials.
At approximately 10:45 p.m., a different climbing party reported seeing the collapse. me. Thursday. After confirming one climber’s death, they descended to the spot where the climbers had fallen. A park statement said they dug a snow cave and took care of the injured climber.
The injured climber was airlifted to a medical facility for further treatment after being saved early on Friday by a rescue helicopter and two mountaineering rangers. According to the statement, they later went back up the mountain to retrieve Mecus’s body, but the weather made them retreat. It was possible to retrieve the body on Saturday morning due to better weather.
Mecus was described as a “incredible, passionate ranger” by interim commissioner Sean Mahar of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation in a statement shared on social media. “.
Ranger Mecus showed an unmatched passion for defending the environment and New Yorkers throughout her 25-year career with the DEC, according to Mahar. “She effectively led risky rescues and intricate searches, informed the public about trail safety, deployed out of state for wildfire response missions, and advanced diversity, inclusion, and LGBTQ belonging throughout the agency, exemplifying the Forest Rangers’ high standard of professional excellence.”. ****.
