FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW

Missing American Climbers Presumed Dead in New Zealand

The two Americans and a Canadian disappeared on the country’s tallest peak earlier this week.

A trio of climbers who disappeared on Aoraki/Mount Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand, are presumed dead. The BBC reports that Aoraki Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker made the announcement on Friday, five days after the men went missing. Although investigators have not yet located their bodies, during drone scans of the area, they did spot personal belongings and footprints in the snow on a ridge. Police believe the men fell while trying to cross. Two of them—Kurt Blair and Carlos Romero, reportedly experienced climbers—were American while a third, whose name has not been disclosed, was Canadian. They were reported missing on Monday, having never showed up for their post-summit transportation down the mountain.