Grim moment a rescuer shows the deep snow crater where a young mountain climber is said to have fallen and gotten stuck before he died.
Brazilian mountaineer Marcelo Motta Delvaux, 55, was declared dead a week after he first disappeared while climbing Nevado Coropuna, the fourth-highest mountain in Peru, standing at approximately 21,000 feet above sea level.
Marcelo, considered one of the best climbers in Brazil, had been missing since June 30th.
He was supposed to return to the lodge on 1st July but did not show up.
The search began on 4th July after Marcelo’s girlfriend, Julieta Ferreri, called for rescue.
Two days later, at 11am on 6th July, the rescue team found Marcelo’s poles stuck in the snow beside an open crevasse after following a GPS signal.
There were signs that Marcelo had fallen into the crevasse, according to a report by mountain guide Pedro Hauck, a friend of Marcelo, on the Alta Montanha website.
The crevasse was very deep, and the rescuers could not see Marcelo.
Footage filmed by a member of the search time shows a trail of footsteps leading up to the hole in the thick snow.
A further close-up revealed a narrow and seemingly bottomless pit where Marcelo likely fell through.
The teams determined it was also not possible to descend because the edge was filled with unstable powdery snow, which prevented anchoring equipment.
The mountaineer likely did not survive the fall, according to the rescue team.
It would explain why Marcelo did not call for help with his GPS, which remained on and had battery for five days, says Pedro.
Even if he had survived the fall, the intense cold on the mountain is also pointed to as a possible cause of Marcelo’s death.
It is now up to the local police to recover the body.
As the location is difficult to access, it is not yet known if an operation will be organised to retrieve Marcelo’s body.
Marcelo was an experienced mountaineer and began climbing high mountains in the 2000s. He reached 54 summits above 6,000 metres.
This was not the first time the Brazilian mountaineer climbed Coropuna. In 2015, Marcelo made his first attempt at climbing it.
Two years later, he returned and managed to reach three of the seven summits.
His family is asking for help through a fundraising campaign to cover search costs with professional guides.
The campaign reads: “Our dear friend Marcelo Delvaux, one of the most experienced mountaineers in Brazil and a mentor to many in our outdoor community, has been missing since 30th June on Nevado Coropuna, in the Arequipa region of Peru.
“With this virtual fundraising campaign, we aim to raise resources for hiring the search and rescue team for Marcelo.”
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Story By: Simona Kitanovska, Sub-Editor: Simona Kitanovska, Agency: Newsflash
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