Three Climbers Killed in North Cascades Fall; Survivor Hikes for Help After 400-Foot Plunge

Last Updated May - 15 - 2025, 01:49 PM | Source : Fela News

A climbing accident in Washington’s North Cascades claimed three lives after a piton failed during descent. Survivor Anton Tselykh hiked to safety and recounted

Three Climbers Killed in North Cascades Fall

Late in the afternoon, with light snow falling, four climbers began descending a steep gully between two peaks in Washington's North Cascades Range — a descent that would end in tragedy. As they rappelled down, they relied on a piton — a metal spike previously placed in the rock by another climber — to secure their ropes. When one of the climbers began rappelling, the piton suddenly gave way, causing all four to plunge down the mountain.

They fell approximately 200 feet before hitting a sloped ravine, where they tumbled another 200 feet before coming to rest in a tangled heap of ropes. Three climbers died from the fall, while one, Anton Tselykh, was knocked unconscious.

Tselykh awoke hours later in the dark. Despite suffering injuries, he managed to free himself from the wreckage of ropes and gear and made his way across rugged, snowy terrain using an ice tool. He eventually reached his car and drove about 64 kilometers before finding a pay phone in Newhalem, where he called for help on Sunday morning, May 11 — eight hours after regaining consciousness.

From Harborview Medical Centre in Seattle on Wednesday, May 14, Tselykh (38), recovering from head trauma and internal bleeding, confirmed the events leading to the deaths of his companions: Vishnu Irigireddy (48), Tim Nguyen (63), and Oleksander Martynenko (36).