The Nation - News from March 12, 1989

Three Japanese men who set out to climb Mt. McKinley are presumed to have died about 3,000 feet below the summit, National Park Service rangers in Alaska said. “I’m afraid I see no hope for their survival,” ranger Bob Seibert said as he called off the rescue effort. Searchers who flew over part of the 20,320-foot peak reported seeing three objects, perhaps the bodies, at the 17,400-foot level above the party’s camp, but weather conditions prevented identification. Noboru Yamada, 39, Teruo Saegusa, 31, and Kozo Komatsu, 34, all of Tokyo, began their expedition Feb. 16. Rangers said they feared the men were blown off an 800-foot drop in Denali Pass, an area known for ferocious winds.