Mikhail Nagovitsin, the son of Natalia Nagovitsina, has made a heartfelt plea for rescue teams to continue their search efforts for his mother, who has been stranded on a mountain for two weeks. He believes she is still alive despite the challenging conditions.
Natalia, also known as Natasha, sustained a leg injury on August 12 while descending Jengish Chokusu, or Victory Peak, a mountain located on the border of Kyrgyzstan and China.
Numerous rescue missions have attempted to reach Natalia, but they have been hampered by severe weather conditions. Sadly, one of these missions resulted in the death of Italian mountaineer Luca Sinigaglia.
On August 23, with Natalia having been stranded at an elevation of 22,965 feet for 11 days, authorities were forced to halt the search as worsening weather, including heavy snowfall, made rescue attempts too dangerous.
Mikhail is urging for the search efforts to be resumed.
He emphasized his mother’s capability to endure the harsh conditions, stating: “My mother is an experienced climber… and is also in very good shape. I am sure that she is alive and want the search to be resumed.”
Mikhail also referred to earlier drone footage of his mother, explaining: “In the video I received, it is clearly visible that seven days after losing contact, she is actively waving her hand, full of strength.”
In light of this, Mikhail has urged the authorities to conduct another drone survey to look for any signs of life.
Following the cessation of rescue operations by Kyrgyzstan authorities, Mikhail is reaching out to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s government for assistance.
He stated: “I ask for assistance in organizing aerial video shooting of the Peak Pobeda area using drones to confirm the fact that she is alive.
“If this fact is confirmed, then organize a rescue operation.”
Mikhail mentioned that rescuers were waiting for a ‘weather window’ to proceed with the rescue mission, stating: “[On] 25th August the forecast was predicted good weather.
“But there was no good weather on the mountain. And they continued to wait for a weather window – but this morning, the entire rescue operation was disbanded, and the reason is unknown. This fact alarms me.”
Nevertheless, Ilim Karypbekov, vice president of the Kyrgyz Mountaineering Federation, has justified the suspension of rescue operations, citing unfavorable weather conditions.
“Professional pilots flew in from Italy,” he mentioned. “But when they flew to the area by helicopter, the weather was not favourable. Before that, they invited a drone pilot who was ordered to probe the area, but it was not possible.
“And the forecast said that in the coming week, five or six days, the weather would not be stable enough to fly a helicopter, let alone a drone. So they called it off.”
Karypbekov further asserted: “No one could survive that long.”
He also suggested that the retrieval of Natalia’s body might have to wait until ‘next season’ due to the current circumstances.