Tatsuto Hatanaka, a 24-year-old climber from Japan, has been rescued after surviving a staggering 1,000-foot plunge from a high ridge in Alaska's Denali National Park. He was scaling the West Buttress route on Peter’s Glacier with a partner when he lost his footing late Friday evening at an altitude of about 16-thousand feet.
Hatanaka’s partner was unable to locate where he fell but alerted park rangers at 2a.m. on Saturday. Weather conditions prevented rangers from initiating a helicopter search right away, but mountaineering rangers started a ground search from their base camp at 14-thousand feet.
Rescuers eventually found Hatanaka and a military aircraft was enlisted to guide a high-altitude helicopter to his position for an airlift rescue. He was transported to the hospital by a Life Med helicopter and is reported to have only suffered minor injuries.
Source: Inside Edition