A mountain rescuer has shared footage from his helmet camera that shows how a climber was saved from a 300-meter deep crevasse on Mount Annapurna, Nepal.
Anurag Maloo fell while descending Annapurna on Monday April 17, the same day renowned Northern Irish climber Noel Hanna died on the mountain. Two Polish climbers, Adam Bielecki and Mariusz Hatala, made it back to base camp safely, but bravely headed back up to find Maloo after hearing about his plight.
A video of the rescue captured by Bielecki's helmet camera (which you can watch below) was shared by local news and travel site EverestOfficial. It shows just how awkwardly Maloo was positioned, unconscious and tightly wedged.
Three days after Maloo's fall, Bielecki, Hatala and a crew of other rescuers were able to haul him back to the surface – in critical condition, but alive.
As Snowbrains reports, Maloo is an experienced climber, and was on a mission to conquer all 14 peaks above 8,000m and scale the world's seven summits to raise awareness of sustainable development in the EU. It's not certain exactly how he ended up falling, but reports suggest he may have grabbed the wrong rope while rappelling down an icy cliff.
Crevasse safety
Just a few days ago, French skier Les Powtos shared a video of himself narrowly avoiding disaster after he fell into a crevasse, and was saved when his skis became wedged, stopping his fall. After calming down, he managed to escape using an ice axe and crampons after his companions fed a rope down to him.
Crevasses can be extremely deep, and can be completely hidden if a thin 'bridge' of snow forms over the top. The British Mountaineering Council explains that it's essential for anyone venturing onto a glacier to have a full set of rescue equipment, and the knowledge to use them if necessary.
"Crevasse rescue is an emergency procedure," says mountain guide Stuart Macdonald, who runs the Avalanche Academy in Chamonix. "Through sound planning, good navigation and controlled skiing you should be able to minimize the risks. It’s far better to avoid falling in rather than having to carry out a rescue. However, if operating on glaciers you have to be prepared for the worst."
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