Climber stuck 23,000ft up mountain ‘presumed dead’ after ‘no signs of life’ found

An experienced Russian climber who got stuck up a mountain after breaking her leg is ‘presumed dead’.

It is believed that Natalia Nagovitsina, 47, broke her leg while climbing 22,965 ft up 24,406 ft Victory Peak in Kyrgyzstan this month.

Victory Peak is Kyrgyzstan’s highest mountain and is located in the Tian Shan range, on the Kyrgyzstan–China border near Lake Issyk-Kul.

Last week, drone footage showed that Nagovitsina was still moving about on the rock, while various missions to save her failed.

Temperatures as low as -23C made it difficult for a helicopter to go up there and rescue her.

Meanwhile, Italian climber Luca Sinigaglia lost his life supplying Nagovitsina with food, water and a gas cooker.

The 49-year-old was said to have collapsed from exhaustion after his body was found and recovered in an ice cave, with his sister Patrizia saying 'he carried out an act of great courage'.

Russian climber Natalia Nagovitsina is suspected to have died on Victory Peak (YouTube/Dmitry Sinitsyn)

"He would never have left anyone behind, and especially not Natalia, with whom he had survived an experience that made them very close," she said.

Now sadly, a statement by Kyrgyzstan's state security agency stated that recent thermal-imaging drone shots suggested that Nagovitsina is no longer alive.

"Based on analysis of the data obtained and taking into account a combination of factors, including extreme weather conditions and the specifics of the area, no signs of life were found at Nagovitsina's location," it said in a statement.

She was stuck 22,965 ft up the 24,406 ft peak (YouTube/Dmitry Sinitsyn)

She spent over two weeks in a orange tent, which was reportedly torn apart by the freezing cold gusts.

According to The Times, she was alive as of last Tuesday, but there were no signs of life when the drones recently flew over the same area.

Nagovitsina and Sinigaglia met for the first time under tragic circumstances back in 2021.

The pair were climbing han Tengri on the Kazakstan-Kyrgyzstan-China border when Nagovitsina's husband, Sergei, suffered a stroke while trying to get down the mountain.

"After that they spoke often, agreeing every so often to meet up on some mountain around the world," Patrizia added.

It comes after Alexander Pyatnitsyn, the federation’s vice president, said last week that 'it will be almost impossible to save her'.

“There’s a three-kilometre-long ridge, and it takes at least 30 people in such a situation to rescue a person from there,” Pyatnitsyn said.

Other attempts to rescue Nagovitsina, both via climbing and helicopter pursuit, failed after a defence ministry helicopter crashed, while another chopper was forced to fly back down due to the bad weather.