Mountaineering rangers in Alaska recovered the body of Alex Chiu, a 41-year-old Seattle man, who died after falling 3,000ft from the west buttress route on Denali (Mount McKinley), North America's highest mountain. Chiu was not roped up at the time of the fall. Recovery efforts were delayed by very high winds and heavy snow, preventing access to the site until early Wednesday.
Alaska rangers recover body of man who died from fall on North America’s tallest peak
AlaskaRock climbingSportsUnited States
AI Summary
TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Mountaineering rangers in Alaska recovered the body of Alex Chiu, a 41-year-old Seattle man, who died after falling 3,000ft from the west buttress route on Denali (Mount McKinley), North America's highest mountain. Chiu was not roped up at the time of the fall. Recovery efforts were delayed by very high winds and heavy snow, preventing access to the site until early Wednesday.
- 1 2010: An unroped French mountaineer fell to his death near the same location, his body was never recovered.
- 2 Monday (June 2, 2025): Two members of Alex Chiu's team reported his fall.
- 3 Early Wednesday (June 4, 2025): Ground and air search crews were able to reach the site and recover Chiu's body.
- 4 Wednesday (June 4, 2025): Chiu's body was transferred to the state medical examiner.
- Death of Alex Chiu.
- Highlights the inherent dangers of mountaineering on Denali.
- Ongoing search and recovery operations for climbers in the region.
What: Mountaineering rangers recovered the body of Alex Chiu, a climber who died after falling 3,000ft from Denali.
When: The body was transferred to the state medical examiner on Wednesday (June 4, 2025); Chiu's fall was reported on Monday (June 2, 2025); Recovery efforts were successful early Wednesday (June 4, 2025); A similar incident occurred in 2010.
Where: Denali (Mount McKinley), Alaska, North America; Squirrel Point (about 12,000ft above sea level) on the west buttress route; Talkeetna (regional town).
Why: Alex Chiu died from a fall while climbing Denali, reportedly because he was not roped up at the time.
How: Rangers recovered the body after ground and air search crews were able to reach the site following a period of very high winds and heavy snow.