Rescue operation under way to find missing climbers

Fears were today mounting for the safety of a Co Limerick climber after he went missing while descending the second highest mountain in the world.

Engineer Gerard McDonnell, 37, has become trapped by blizzards on the Chinese/Pakistani border with a group of Dutch explorers.

Friend Pat Falvey today said a major rescue operation by fellow climbers is under way to find the adventurers stranded on K2.

He said: “It looks at that moment that there is a big rescue on the mountain, above the 8,000 metre mark and it looks like Ger and a few other friends are actually trapped higher on the mountain.”

He continued: “So for the next few hours, for the family, it is a very tense time.”

McDonnell yesterday became the first Irish man to reach the summit of 8,611-metre K2, one of the most dangerous mountains in the world.

Forty-nine climbers have died on K2 since 1952 – 22 while descending from the summit.

Mr Falvey, who led the first Irish expedition to the South Pole earlier this year, added of his colleague: “Ger is one of the strongest climbers in the world.”

“At the moment the positions of a number of people are unknown. So we have very grave concerns but at the same time we have great hope that things will turn out OK.”

“The next ten hours will be crucial.”

“We are praying, and we have candles lighting for his safe return.”

Mr Falvey added: “He is one of the nicest people you could ever come across, a fantastic personality. We’re just hoping everything will go right.”

McDonnell failed to summit the mountain two years ago after he was hit by a rock fall and was airlifted to hospital.

K2 is regarded as the most savage in the world and considered tougher than Mount Everest because of its steep routes and unpredictable weather.

Only 189 climbers have reached the summit, compared with around 1,400 for Everest.