Two climbers die in fall on Mount McKinley

Two climbers died Thursday when they fell thousands of feet on Mount McKinley, the National Park Service said.

They were identified as Dr. John Mislow, 39, of Newton, Mass., and Dr. Andrew Swanson, 36, of Minneapolis.

The climbing partners were roped together and fell at least 2,000 feet to their deaths on the Messner Couloir. Another team saw them fall from the 16,500-foot elevation to 14,500 feet, a statement from the Park Service said. But where the pair started falling is not known yet, said spokeswoman Maureen McLaughlin.

The doctors were considered experienced climbers. In 2000, when they made their first and only other trip to the mountain, the Park Service gave them an award for safety, self-sufficiency and assisting other mountaineers. They helped other teams in distress, the service said.

Click here to read the article from the Anchorage Daily News.