Tragic coincidence as last rescue attempt for stuck climber on Kyrgyzstan’s Peak shown
Impossible evacuation
The 47-year-old climber broke her leg on August 12 while descending from the 7,439-meter summit. Her partner went for help, while she spent more than ten days in a tent at over 7,000 meters.
German climber Günther Sigmund and Italian Luca Sinigaglia first tried to reach her, managing only to wrap Nagovitsyna in a sleeping bag and leave basic supplies. Sinigaglia later died of frostbite and cerebral edema.
A helicopter carrying Russian climbers and rescuers failed to reach her camp due to turbulence and was forced into an emergency landing. Several crew members and climbers were injured, including Vitaly Akimov, who later led another rescue group. However, at 6,500 meters he suffered severe back pain and the team had to retreat.
On August 19, a drone recorded Nagovitsyna alive for the last time. By August 23, rescue operations were fully suspended due to bad weather, snowstorms and avalanche danger. According to reports, attempts will not resume until spring 2026.
Застрявшую в горах российскую альпинистку со сломанной ногой больше не будут пытаться спасти — мешает резкое ухудшение погоды, пишут в СМИ. Руководитель экспедиции Дмитрий Греков заявил, что надежды «почти не осталось»: шансов найти женщину живой почти нет, снять её с горы ещё… pic.twitter.com/5He8vFHTP3
— Don Pu (@brazzers_don) August 23, 2025
Pobeda Peak is considered one of the most dangerous mountains in the world, with an estimated fatality rate of up to 30 percent. Harsh weather and difficult routes regularly claim the lives of even experienced climbers. Two helicopters evacuated more than 60 climbers from the Khan Tengri and Pobeda Peak area this season.
Haunting symbolism
Nagovitsyna’s story carries a chilling coincidence of dates. Her husband, Sergey Nagovitsyn, died in 2021 on another 7,000-meter summit – Khan Tengri – after suffering a stroke near the top. Natalia made every effort to save him, and a year later climbed the peak again to place a memorial plaque in his honor.
In August 2025, tragedy repeated itself. On August 10, it was the third anniversary of Sergey’s death; on August 15, he would have turned 49; and on August 20, Natalia’s own birthday, she found herself trapped at 7,140 meters.
Natalia Nagovitsyna died at 7,200 meters, just 200 meters from the summit of Pobeda Peak — the same altitude where her husband Sergey had passed away four years earlier.