Second Avalanche Fatality This Season on Mount McKinley

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    JUNEAU, Alaska — A tragic incident occurred on North America’s highest peak as a skier lost his life following an avalanche on Alaska’s Mount McKinley, as reported by officials on Wednesday. This marks the second fatality recorded during the current climbing season on the towering mountain.

    Nicholas Vizzini, a 29-year-old from Washington state, was skiing with a companion who was snowboarding when they inadvertently set off an avalanche while descending the massive 20,310-foot (6,190-meter) peak, according to a statement from Denali National Park and Preserve officials. The avalanche began at around 16,600 feet (5,060 meters) and cascaded down to roughly 15,000 feet (4,572 meters), as detailed by the park authorities.

    Two mountaineering rangers, who were stationed on the mountain, quickly arrived at the scene after noticing the snowboarder amid the torrent of avalanche debris, as the park’s statement described. They successfully picked up a beacon signal which led them to Vizzini, who was found largely buried under the snow and debris. Despite their efforts in applying life-saving techniques, Vizzini was declared deceased by early Tuesday evening, the statement noted.

    Vizzini’s remains were retrieved and taken to the state medical examiner’s office for further assessment. His snowboarding partner, who sustained only minor injuries, was planning to depart from the mountain the following day, based on the information provided.

    This incident follows a previous fatality earlier this month, where Alex Chiu, a ski mountaineer hailing from Seattle, perished after a 3,000-foot (about 900-meter) fall while navigating the mountain’s West Buttress climbing path.

    The climbing season on Mount McKinley typically extends from early May to the start of July. Currently, approximately 500 climbers are exploring the challenging terrain of the mountain, park authorities reported.