A rescue helicopter picked up two British climbers Monday from Mount McKinley, where they had been stranded without food in bitter cold for more than three days. They were hospitalized in good condition.
"The weather cleared enough that we were ultimately able to get (a helicopter) up to 19,000 feet," said Ken Kehrer, a spokesman for Denali National Park.The climbers, Martin Spooner and Carl Bougard, were lifted off the mountain in body harnesses attached to ropes from the rescue helicopter at 2:45 a.m. Alaska time, Kehrer said. Spooner had suffered an ankle injury.
They were then flown to the 14,000-foot level, where they got into the helicopter.
They were admitted to Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage. Nursing supervisor Deborah Whitethorn said they were both in good condition. She said she could give no details on the extent of Spooner's injuries or whether either one suffered from frostbite.
The two British military men had been stranded since Thursday, when Spooner fell 300 feet while trying to reach the summit.