KATHMANDU, Nov 8 The body of the missing Slovakian mountaineer Onrej Husarke, 34, who had fallen into a crevasse following the historic first ascent of Langtang mountain from the eastern side, was recovered on Thursday. The rescuers retrieved the climber’s body after a week as they couldn’t access the crevasse where he had fallen.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Keshab Bhattarai told Republica that a team of rescuers recovered the body at around 11:30 am on Thursday. The Rasuwa District Police Office had located the body in a crevasse about 50 meters deep on Sunday.
“A team of experts from Fourteen Summits Expedition dispatched for the retrieval helo-rappeled to the spot and recovered the body,” he said. “Following the retrieval, the body has already been airlifted to Kathmandu.” DSP Bhattarai added that the body will go through a post-mortem examination before being sent to the climber’s home town in Slovakia.
Police locate missing Slovak mountaineer, rescue affected by ba...
The deceased mountaineer’s expedition partners as well as the Slovakian Mountaineering Association had presumed him dead after the mishap. As per his expedition partner Marek Holecek, 50, from the Czech Republic, Husarke hit a slanted slope after an eight-meter drop, following which he tumbled down into the crevasse.
Although it had been more than a week since the mishap and it seemed unlikely that he survived the frigid conditions, police had not pronounced him dead. A helicopter operation could not be initiated due to adverse weather conditions.
It was difficult to retrieve Husarke’s body from the crevasse which is located more than 7,000 meters above sea level in Gosainkunda Rural Municipality-3. A team which had gone for aerial rescue discovered his clothes, sleeping bag, and other belongings. He was eventually located during the search operation in the same area.
Husarke’s Czechian expedition partner Holecek, who had also gone missing following the ascent, came into contact with the police himself. Another German citizen, Roward George Newvar, 43, was rescued by the team. Both of them received treatment in Kathmandu.
