A climber was rescued early Friday from the high camp on Denali/NPS, Tim Rains

Three days after a climber died on Denali’s West Buttress, Denali National Park and Preserve mountaineering rangers and volunteers saved the life of a sick climber at the 17,200-foot high camp on Denali early this morning. The 50-year-old climber from Texas became ill with signs and symptoms of high-altitude pulmonary (HAPE) while returning from the 20,308-foot Alaska summit Thursday evening with his nine-member guided party.

Ranger Mik Shain and four NPS volunteer patrol members were contacted at 10 p.m. Thursday via FRS radio by a Mountain Trip guide requesting assistance in getting his client back to their camp at 17,200 feet. The NPS patrol helped walk the patient into camp, and then patrol members, including a volunteer physician and a volunteer nurse, conducted a medical assessment and provided treatment for HAPE. In addition to the altitude medications already provided by his guides, the NPS patrol provided oxygen, supplemental medications, and treated the climber in a Gamow Bag, an inflatable pressure chamber used to treat severe high-altitude illness. The patient initially responded well to treatment, but several hours later, his vital signs deteriorated.

Shortly before 4:30 a.m. Friday, NPS high-altitude helicopter pilot Andy Hermansky launched from Talkeetna. After picking up mountaineering ranger and paramedic Dave Weber at the 7,200-foot base camp, the helicopter flew to the 17,200-foot camp. The patient was loaded in the helicopter and evacuated to Talkeetna, and upon descent from altitude, he quickly showed signs of improvement. In Talkeetna, he was transferred to a LifeMed air ambulance and brought to a Palmer hospital for further treatment.

On Wednesday, a 66-year-old Japanese climber trying to summit Denali died of unknown causes after falling ill a day earlier.