Clouds foil search for lost Vail resident
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Clouds surrounding Alaska’s Mount Foraker stymied rescuers’ in their attempts Tuesday evening and Wednesday to search the south summit of the mountain by helicopter for lost Vail resident Sue Nott and climbing partner Karen McNeil.
“We’ll get back up when (the clouds) move out,” said Denali National Park and Preserve spokeswoman Maureen McLaughlin. She added the weather system is relatively weak.
Rescuers still plan to search the south peak of the 17,400-foot behemoth, where tracks were found Monday 1,000 feet below the summit. Searchers suspect Nott, 36, and McNeil, 37, might have purposely burrowed themselves into a sheltered spot such as a crevasse to reduce their exposure to wind and cold, said Kris Fister, another Denali spokeswoman.
Two Chinook military helicopters from Fort Wainwright attempted to search the south summit on Tuesday, but were turned back by cloud cover, Fister said.
Another private helicopter hired by the Park Service was able to reach the 14,000-foot level and searched mountain routes and gullies with no success.
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Rescuers also were able to search the pile of avalanche debris where Nott’s pack and other items were found last Friday, but noted nothing new, Fister said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Staff Writer J.K. Perry can be reached at 748-2928 or jkperry@vaildaily.com.
Vail, Colorado
