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Spanish climber Fernando Ossa died after spending two days stranded on an Andean peak that straddles the border between Chile and Argentina.
EFE/File
Bilbao/Madrid, Jan 1 (EFE).- Spanish climber Fernando Ossa died after spending two days stranded on an Andean peak that straddles the border between Chile and Argentina, a friend of the mountaineer told Efe Thursday.
Ossa and Paco Vicario, both residents of northern Spain's Basque region, and a third Spanish climber set out to scale the 6,893-meter (22,615-ft) Nevado Ojos del Salado, the world's highest active volcano.
They were only about 400 meters from the summit when Ossa was stricken with severe altitude sickness.
Vicario remained with Ossa as the third climber descended to get help.
He made contact with authorities on Wednesday and emergency services in both Argentina and Chile mobilized to rescue Ossa and Vicario.
Efforts to reach the pair by helicopter were frustrated by bad weather, but an Argentine team traveling by land was expected to arrive at the location Thursday afternoon.
Ossa, however, succumbed on Thursday and Vicario made his own way down the mountain.
Friends of the two climbers said Thursday that Vicario was en route to the nearest town.
Spain's diplomatic missions in Argentina and Chile remained in contact with the respective local authorities throughout the incident.
The Spanish consul in Cordoba, Argentina, was on his way to the scene, diplomatic sources told Efe.