A British mountain climber had to have his right leg amputated after falling down a mountain in Argentina.
The 32-year-old, who has not been publicly identified, was rushed to a nearby hospital after plunging from Mount Aconcagua, which stands at 22,837 feet and is the highest mountain in the Americas.
The mountaineer fell at the site of a high base camp called Condors Nest which is at 20,000 feet.
Authorities received a call at around 6 pm local time on Tuesday, January 24, about a man who had fallen off the mountain. According to local authorities, in addition to his right leg getting amputated, the base of his skull also suffered a fracture.
The climber was evacuated using a helicopter and medics brought him to a hospital located in Mendoza, Argentina.
The injured man was reportedly in serious condition when he arrived at the hospital.
Mount Aconcagua is near the Argentina-Chile border, the highest mountain in the Western hemisphere. It is also a part of the seven summits, a group of high peaks in each of the seven continents.
Despite mountain climbers scaling the mountain for centuries, it continues to be quite hazardous for climbers due to altitude sickness and high winds.
News of mountain climbers getting into fatal accidents is common. Officials are still searching for actor Julian Sands, 65, since January 13 after he started a hike on Mount Baldy, California.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office said in a press statement on Tuesday, January 24, that they had located another missing hiker alive. Seventy-five-year-old Jim Chung went missing on January 22 while climbing Mount Baldy. Chung had sustained a leg injury and other weather-related injuries but was able to walk.
In the statement, police also said they were still searching for Sands, saying they had not yet found evidence of his current location.
A mountaineer from Utah recalled his near-death experience on December 28, when he fell 40 feet off a climbing route. Tim Thompson, 29, said he thought he would die when he lost his footing after a chunk of ice fell from the mountain.
When the incident happened, he and a friend were ice climbing near Bridal Veil Falls. Luckily, he survived but suffered a broken back and arms.
