A 36-year-old climber has died after falling more than 30 feet during a group climbing expedition in Romania's Bucegi Mountains.
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The accident happened on July 11 in the Valea Alb? area after four climbers reportedly fell when a shared belay device failed.
The woman was later identified as Antonia Mih?ilescu, a dentist, mountaineer, and avid outdoor enthusiast.
The incident triggered a complex rescue operation that lasted around three hours.
Climber Dies After 33-Foot Fall in Romanian Mountains
According to reports, the four climbers were attached to the same belay device when it suddenly gave way, sending the group plunging approximately 33 feet down the mountainside.
One of the climbers was able to call emergency services, prompting a large-scale rescue response.
"Four people accompanied by an instructor were climbing in Valea Alb?," Prahova County Prefect Dan Nicodim said. "We are probably dealing with mountain enthusiasts, people with minimal training."
"The first information was that a rope broke, so it was an accident, an error in this regard. Not a human error or a group of tourists caught unprepared in the mountains."
Emergency teams dispatched four helicopters to the scene, including a Black Hawk aircraft. Rescuers were lowered onto the steep slope to reach the injured climbers.
Three-Hour Rescue Operation Ends in Tragedy
The challenging terrain made the rescue especially difficult, with officials saying the operation lasted approximately three hours.
"The area we are talking about is difficult to access, both for the Mountain Rescue teams and for the medical team. The operation was against the clock, no time was lost," Bogdan Toma of the Romanian Department for Emergency Situations (DSU) said.
One rescuer recalled that the stranded climbers were instructed to shine the lights from their phones toward the helicopter overhead to help crews locate them.
Two of the injured men were flown to Floreasca Hospital in Bucharest. While a third was taken to Bra?ov County Hospital.
The survivors were reportedly between 27 and 51 years old.
Although Mih?ilescu was initially conscious after the fall, her condition deteriorated more than an hour later. She then died from her injuries.
Local police have opened an investigation to determine whether offenses including manslaughter and negligent bodily harm were committed.
