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Climber Survives Fatal 200-Foot Fall in Washington, Anchor Failure Suspected

Anton Tselykh, the sole survivor of a climbing accident that claimed three lives, remains in critical condition as authorities investigate a weathered piton believed to have caused the fall.

The Okanogan County Search and Rescue team responds to a climbing accident in the North Cascades mountains in Washington on Sunday, May 11, 2025.
A view of the remote Northern Cascades, North Early Winter Spire which is a challenging climb with a sheer rock face, in Washington.
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Overview

  • Three climbers—Vishnu Irigireddy, Tim Nguyen, and Oleksander Martynenko—died after falling 200 feet during a descent on North Early Winters Spire in Washington's North Cascades.
  • Anton Tselykh, the lone survivor, suffered head trauma and internal injuries but no broken bones, and is currently in stable but critical condition in a Seattle hospital.
  • Officials suspect that a weathered piton, left by previous climbers, may have failed as the anchor point, causing the group to plunge and slide down the mountain.
  • Tselykh's self-rescue involved crawling in near-total darkness to his car, driving disoriented across the mountains, and continuing after colliding with a guardrail, despite his injuries.
  • Authorities are analyzing the piton and awaiting Tselykh's full account to confirm the cause of the accident, while emphasizing the risks of relying on aged climbing equipment in high-use areas.