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Two New Zealand Climbers Stranded on Mount Popomanaseu as Rescue Efforts Stall

Bad weather has blocked ground and air access and left rescuers unable to reach the pair, heightening pressure over their limited supplies.

Overview

  • Keanu Isaksson, 25, and Luca Zylstra, 19, are trapped in a ravine on Mount Popomanaseu after torrential rain made descent routes impassable.
  • Search parties have been turned back and a helicopter pilot who reached about 4,000 feet aborted further attempts because there were no safe landing pockets.
  • The men have been sending intermittent updates via an emergency response beacon and are rationing food that their family says could last roughly six more days.
  • New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance and family members are in contact with rescue coordinators.
  • Mount Popomanaseu is a remote 2,335-metre volcanic peak that requires local guides and tribal clearances, and shifting weather and steep ravines complicate any immediate rescue plan.