A desperate plea from the son of Natalia Nagovitsyna. Mikhail Nagovitsyn has launched a public appeal urging Russian and Kyrgyz authorities to resume rescue operations on Victory Peak, where his mother remains stranded after suffering a leg injury during descent.
Despite several daring attempts, harsh weather and extreme conditions have forced rescuers to abandon operations temporarily, leaving her in a precarious position at over 7,000 meters, where one of her companions tragically died during the ordeal.
The other companions were evacuated safely, and her family insists she is still alive, sharing drone footage showing her signaling from her tent. Authorities warn that the window for a safe rescue is closing, with operations likely suspended until the next climbing season.
We've translated the appeal from Russian (via global_bishkek):
The son of mountaineer Nagovitsyna, who became stranded with a leg injury on Victory Peak in the Kyrgyz mountains, has appealed to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, and the Russian ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, asking them to save his mother.
"My mother is an experienced climber, she holds a second-class sports title in mountaineering, and she is in strong health and excellent physical condition. In the video I received, it is clearly visible that seven days after losing contact she is actively waving her hand, full of strength (in the published video, one can indeed see Nagovitsyna waving her hand from the tent). I am convinced that my mother is still alive.
According to forecasts, favorable weather conditions will last only for the next two days. After this time, carrying out a rescue operation may become impossible.
I ask for assistance in organizing aerial video recording of the Victory Peak area using drones to confirm the fact that she is alive. In the event this is confirmed, please organize a rescue operation," wrote Mikhail Nagovitsyn on his social media.
It should be recalled that yesterday (August 25), a clear day was predicted on Victory Peak, and a private company had planned to launch a drone to determine whether the climber was alive. After that, an Italian pilot was supposed to attempt a helicopter flight to reach her. However, for unknown reasons, the rescue operation had to be suspended — this was reported on the page of the man who was supposed to launch the drone to Natalia.
At present, neither the local emergency services nor the private company are making positive forecasts about Nagovitsyna's rescue. It is believed that returning for her will only be possible next year, when the climbing season on Victory Peak reopens.
Victory Peak is considered one of the most dangerous mountains in the world. Harsh weather and an altitude of seven and a half thousand meters make every hour spent there life-threatening. On Pobeda, the probability of climbers' death reportedly hovers around 25%.
Nagovitsyna is indeed a highly experienced mountaineer who has already conquered several other seven-thousanders. She was close to earning the title of "Snow Leopard," awarded for summiting all five peaks above 7,000 meters in the former USSR.
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