Tragedy continues for 47-year-old Natalia Nagovitsyna, who broke her leg more than two weeks ago while climbing a 24,406-foot peak in Kyrgyzstan.
Three days after the Russian climber was injured, a friend attempting to rescue her died, and subsequent rescue attempts were also unsuccessful.
After weeks of trying to reach Nagovitsyna on Victory Peak, Kyrgyz state officials told CBS News on Wednesday, Aug. 27, that a thermal drone located the small tent where she had been stranded at around 23,000 feet.
“Based on analysis of the data obtained and taking into account a combination of factors, including extreme weather conditions and the specifics of the area, no signs of life were found at Nagovitsyna’s location,” the Kyrgyzstan state security agency told the outlet, reporting that she is presumed dead.
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The Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Nagovitsyna’s ordeal began on Tuesday, Aug. 12, when she was descending from the summit and suffered a broken leg.
Although a group of climbers were able to provide her with some supplies, harsh weather prevented her evacuation, according to CBS News.
Victory Peak, also known as Jengish Chokusu, sits on the eastern edge of the Tien Shan range along the Kyrgyzstan-China border. It is Kyrgyzstan’s tallest mountain, according to Britannica.
Three days after Nagovitsyna’s injury, fellow climber Luca Sinigaglia, 49, died while trying to assist her, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed last week.
Sinigaglia had made multiple trips to the summit to deliver supplies to his stranded friend but succumbed to prolonged exposure to low oxygen levels and hypothermia at Pobeda Peak, according to The Times. On his final attempt, he was only a couple of thousand feet from Nagovitsyna’s shelter.
“He carried out an act of great courage. He would never have left anyone behind, and especially not Natalia, with whom he had survived an experience that made them very close,” said Luca’s sister, according to the newspaper. “It was an action to be proud of that unfortunately did not allow him to return to us. But that was Luca.”
Nagovitsyna was last seen by a drone on a ridge near the summit on Tuesday, Aug. 19, and was believed to be alive at the time, an official told CNN. However, extreme weather forced officials to pause the search as temperatures fell to -9 degrees, according to The Times.
Her son Mikhail urged authorities to continue searching for his mother, citing the drone footage that seemed to show her alive, according to The Moscow Times.
On Friday, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that weather had also delayed the recovery of Sinigaglia’s body, though a group of mountaineers hoped to bring him down with the aid of a helicopter. The same climbers had been helping with rescue efforts for Nagovitsyna.
Nagovitsyna and Sinigaglia first met in 2021 while climbing Khan Tengri in the same mountain range, according to The Times. During that climb, Nagovitsyna’s husband, Sergei, suffered a stroke and died, and Sinigaglia helped her reach safety.
