LAST HOPE - New Rescue Bid Today For Russian Woman Stranded On 25,000-Ft Peak

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A Russian woman trapped atop a snow-capped mountain with a broken leg for 12 days might still be saved as rescuers have found a small 24-hour window of favourable weather later today where they will try to reach her.

Natalia Nagovitsyna, 47, became stranded at nearly 25,000 feet on Pobeda Peak, in the Tien Shan massif in Kyrgyzstan, after she fractured her leg during her descent on 12th August.

A drone is now being sent up to try and locate Natalia in what might be the last chance to save her.

According to the Russian Mountaineering Federation, the drone mission is planned for today (25th August), because of a favourable weather forecast, which, specialists say, should allow the operation to go ahead.

Earlier rescue efforts had been suspended due to severe weather conditions.

The drone will be sent to assess Natalia's condition. If it turns out she is still alive, rescuers will consider the possibility of an evacuation using a Eurodrone.

Natalia has been stuck for two weeks at an altitude with temperatures as low as –26 °C, very limited food and water, and only a gas burner for survival.

Earlier, local media reported that rescuing the mountaineer was impossible due to worsening weather conditions and the end of the climbing season on Pobeda Peak.

During one operation, Italian mountaineer Luca Sinigaglia lost his life due to hypothermia after he set out with a German climber to try and save Natalia.

The pair were caught in a blizzard, and Luca died hours later on 15th August.

Another rescue attempt ended in disaster when a Mi-8 helicopter from Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Defence crashed in the side of the mountain.

Pobeda Peak, also known as Jengish Chokusu, rises to 7,439 metres (24,406 feet) and is regarded as the most dangerous of all the seven-thousanders in the former Soviet Union. No injured climber has ever been rescued from this altitude.

Natalia had previously suffered tragedy on another expedition in 2021 when her husband Sergey died of a stroke at 6,900 metres (22,630 feet) on Khan Tengri, a neighbouring peak in the same massif.

She later returned to install a memorial plaque in his memory.

(Simona Kitanovska / newsX)

NewsX-ClimberRus-05.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash/NX
Description: Archive Picture | Natalya Nagovitsyna poses in undated photo. Luca Sanigaglia died while trying to save her on Pobeda Peak in Kyrgyzstan. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Newsflash/NX)

NewsX-ClimberRus-01.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash/NX
Description: Archive Picture | Natalya Nagovitsyna poses in undated photo. Luca Sanigaglia died while trying to save her on Pobeda Peak in Kyrgyzstan. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Newsflash/NX)

NewsX-ClimberRus-06.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash/NX
Description: Archive Picture | Luca Sanigaglia poses in undated photo. He died while trying to save Natalya Nagovitsyna on Pobeda Peak in Kyrgyzstan. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Newsflash/NX)

NewsX-ClimberRus-03.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash/NX
Description: Archive Picture | Natalya Nagovitsyna poses in undated photo. Luca Sanigaglia died while trying to save her on Pobeda Peak in Kyrgyzstan. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Newsflash/NX)

NewsX-ClimberRus-04.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash/NX
Description: Archive Picture | Natalya Nagovitsyna poses in undated photo. Luca Sanigaglia died while trying to save her on Pobeda Peak in Kyrgyzstan. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Newsflash/NX)

NewsX-ClimberRus-11.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash/NX
Description: Archive Picture | Picture shows Natalya Nagovitsyna stranded on Pobeda Peak, undated. Luca Sanigaglia died while trying to save her on Pobeda Peak in Kyrgyzstan. Note: Image is a screenshot from video. (Newsflash/NX)

NewsX-ClimberRus-02.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash/NX
Description: Archive Picture | Natalya Nagovitsyna poses in undated photo. Luca Sanigaglia died while trying to save her on Pobeda Peak in Kyrgyzstan. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Newsflash/NX)

NewsX-ClimberRus-07.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash/NX
Description: Archive Picture | Luca Sanigaglia poses in undated photo. He died while trying to save Natalya Nagovitsyna on Pobeda Peak in Kyrgyzstan. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Newsflash/NX)

NewsX-ClimberRus-08.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash/NX
Description: Archive Picture | Luca Sanigaglia poses in undated photo. He died while trying to save Natalya Nagovitsyna on Pobeda Peak in Kyrgyzstan. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Newsflash/NX)

NewsX-ClimberRus-09.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash/NX
Description: Archive Picture | Luca Sanigaglia poses in undated photo. He died while trying to save Natalya Nagovitsyna on Pobeda Peak in Kyrgyzstan. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Newsflash/NX)

NewsX-ClimberRus-10.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash/NX
Description: Archive Picture | Luca Sanigaglia poses in undated photo. He died while trying to save Natalya Nagovitsyna on Pobeda Peak in Kyrgyzstan. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Newsflash/NX)

Byline Journalist: Simona Kitanovska

Byline Sub editor: Simona Kitanovska

Byline Spotter: Aloysius Fernandes

Byline Commisioning Editor: Aloysius Fernandes

Byline Senior Writer: Simona Kitanovska

Byline Copychecker: Angela Trajkovska

Byline Illustrator: Angela Trajkovska

Byline News Editor: Mike Leidig

Geography: Kyrgyzstan

Subject: Emergency, Emergency Rescue, Humans, Nature, Mountains

T4 Editor Story Rating: 8

T4 Editor Pic/Vid rating: 7

T4 Total rating: 7.5