2 Die in Mt McKinley Fall

By Jess Kilby,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 13, 2009 7:40 AM CDT
2 Die in Mt McKinley Fall
Dr. Andrew Swanson, left, of Minneaspolis and his climbing partner, John Mislow of Massachusetts, fell to their deaths Thursday while climbing Mount McKinley at Denali National Park, Alaska.    (AP Photo/Courtesy of Eydie Swanson)

Two experienced climbers died this week trying to summit Mount McKinley, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The pair plunged at least 2,000 feet from the 20,320-foot mountain, North America’s tallest peak. Officials say it’s unclear whether the men reached the summit before their fall on Thursday or why they were on a particularly treacherous route not usually used by climbers. About 1,200 climbers attempt McKinley each year, and a handful of deaths usually result.


(More Mount McKinley stories.)

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