A climber has died after collapsing while attempting to summit Alaska's Denali mountain, the National Park Service said Saturday.
The climber, 48-year-old Fernando Birman of Stockton, New Jersey, collapsed Friday evening at an elevation of 19,700 feet while on an attempt to reach the top of the 20,310-foot peak, the park service said.Birman was part of a 12-member guided tour that began their ascent on May 22, said Sharon Stiteler, a spokesperson for Denali National Park.
After his death, Birman's body was moved to a plateau and taken down from the mountain by helicopter before being sent to the Alaska medical examiner's office late Friday night. The park statement said the cause of death was unknown but was consistent with sudden cardiac arrest.