Climber falls about 3,000 feet from Mount McKinley; body recovered

DENALI NATIONAL PARK, Ala. (WJW) – A Seattle man’s body was recovered in Alaska after he fell about 3,000 feet while hiking on Mount McKinley this week, the National Park Service said.

Alex Chiu, 41, fell to his death Monday while on an expedition on the mountain’s West Buttress, park officials said. After the fall, Chiu’s climbing companions told park rangers they attempted to lower “over the edge” to see if they could hear or see Chiu but were unable to detect any signs of life, according to an NPS news release.

Chiu’s body was recovered by rangers Wednesday after conditions became more favorable to the search crew.

“Clearing weather on the north side of the Alaska Range provided the opportunity for two mountaineering rangers to depart Talkeetna for an aerial helicopter search to locate and recover the body,” the National Park Service said.

Chiu’s body was transferred to the medical examiner’s office.

This isn’t the first time a climber has died from falling in the area. According to the National Park Service, an unroped mountaineer from France fell to his death while heading to Peters Glacier in 2010. His body was never recovered, officials said.

According to park officials, climbing season on Mount McKinley — featuring the tallest peak in North America — usually starts in early May and continues through early July.