2 climbers missing in Alaska’s Denali national park are presumed dead, officials say

By BECKY BOHRER
Associated Press

Officials say two climbers last heard from as they prepared to scale a peak in Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve last week are believed dead. The park says that leaders of the search efforts “have concluded that survival is outside the window of possibility,” citing the rocky terrain, the climbers’ limited supplies, cold temperatures and the time that has passed since the men were last heard from. Eli Michel, from Indiana, and Nafiun Awal, from Seattle, were last heard from on May 5, before setting out to climb on the 10,300-foot peak called Moose’s Tooth. Park officials say mountaineering rangers plan to continue to conduct aerial searches for signs of the climbers over the next few months.