Rescue operations for two Japanese climbers who fell from K2, the world’s second-highest mountain, have been suspended, announced Ishii Sports Co. on Tuesday.
The company revealed that the decision to halt the search was made in agreement with the climbers’ families. The suspension came after rescuers encountered significant challenges reaching the area where Kazuya Hiraide, 45, and Kenro Nakajima, 39, were last confirmed to be.
The climbers, both experienced mountaineers and photographers, fell from approximately 7,000 meters above sea level on K2’s 8,611-meter peak on Saturday. A helicopter was able to confirm their positions shortly after the accident but was unable to land, according to Ishii Sports.
In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, the Tokyo-based company announced that this would be their final update on the situation.
Hiraide, a renowned mountaineer, had received France’s prestigious “Piolet d’Or” award three times. In 2013, he captured the ascent of Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura, who was then 80 years old, to the summit of Mt. Everest.
Nakajima, who had embarked on three international expeditions, successfully reached two previously unclimbed peaks while still a university student and won the “Piolet d’Or” twice.