Vishnu Irigireddy, a 48-year-old Indian-origin tech executive from Seattle, was among three climbers killed in a devastating fall during a descent in Washington state’s North Cascades Range on Saturday. Irigireddy, along with his climbing partners Tim Nguyen, 63, Oleksander Martynenko, 36, and Anton Tselykh, 38, was attempting to descend from the North Early Winters Spire when disaster struck.According to
NBC News
, the group was retreating amid worsening weather when their shared anchor point failed, sending all four men plunging about 200 feet. They then slid another 200 feet down a ravine in a tangle of ropes and equipment. Tselykh, the only survivor, was knocked unconscious and later awoke in darkness.As per news agency
AP
, Tselykh managed to free himself from the debris and trekked over snow and rock using an ice tool before driving 64 kilometres to the town of Newhalem, where he used a pay phone to contact authorities early Sunday morning.The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the trio had died at the scene. Undersheriff David Yarnel was quoted by
The Guardian
as saying all four were connected to the same anchor, which “is not preferred.”Investigators are now examining whether the failed piton, a metal spike used to secure ropes, had been pre-placed or set by the group.Irigireddy was vice president of engineering at Fluke Corporation, a Seattle-area test equipment company. In a statement, the company described him as “an extraordinary leader” whose loss was “felt profoundly” across the organisation.Family and friends remembered Irigireddy as “an experienced climber who found joy and purpose in nature.” A memorial note on remembr.com described him as someone whose life reflected “integrity, compassion, and a relentless pursuit of growth.” His cremation is scheduled for Thursday, and donations are being collected for two non-profits in his honour.Tselykh, currently hospitalised with internal bleeding and a traumatic brain injury, is in satisfactory condition at Harborview Medical Centre, according to Susan Gregg, media director for UW Medicine.The North Early Winters Spire, part of the Liberty Bell group in the Cascades, is a granite peak popular with seasoned climbers, though it can become treacherous in poor weather. A rescue helicopter from Snohomish County assisted in recovering the victims from the steep terrain.
