Authorities on Dec. 6 called off the search for three mountain climbers, two from the United States and one from Canada, who have been missing for five days on New Zealand’s Aoraki mountain, the tallest mountain in the country, saying they likely died in a fall.
The bodies of the three individuals—Kurt Blair, 56, from Colorado, Carlos Romero, 50, of California, and a third man from Canada who authorities have not named at the request of his family—have not yet been found.
The two Americans who went missing, Blair and Romero, were certified guides in skiing, alpine climbing, and rock climbing, according to the American Mountain Guides Association, a nonprofit organization that supports mountain guides.
Their families have been informed the search has been called off, Aoraki Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker said in a statement.
The three men had flown to a hut partway up the mountain on Saturday to begin their ascent. They were reported missing on Monday when they failed to turn up for a scheduled charter flight following the climb.
Searchers hours later found climbing-related items believed to belong to the men, but no sign of them, police said.
“Based on the footage from the drone, we can see evidence of where the climbers had begun to traverse the slopes beneath Zurbriggen Ridge,” Walker said. “After reviewing the number of days the climbers have been missing, no communication, the items we have retrieved, and our reconnaissance today, we do not believe the men have survived. We believe they have taken a fall.”
Search and rescue officials remain poised to “reactivate” the search if they receive new information or credible reports of sightings, particularly from members of the climbing community, Walker stated.
Police formally advised a coroner of their belief that the climbers did not survive a fall, Walker said in the statement.
Aoraki, also known as Mount Cook, is the highest mountain in New Zealand, at about 12,000 feet above sea level, and is popular among experienced climbers.
Part of the Southern Alps, the mountain’s terrain is technically challenging due to crevasses, avalanche risks, unpredictable weather, and glacier movement.
Since the start of the 20th century, more than 240 deaths have been recorded on the mountain and in the surrounding national park.
