1 of 4 fallen climbers rescued from Mount McKinley

(DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE, Ala.) -- One of the four climbers who fell while ascending Mount McKinley in Alaska has been rescued from the 17,200-foot basin, according to the National Park Service.

The search for the remaining three climbers, who also fell while climbing Mount McKinley at 18,200 feet, is now a recovery mission, the NPS said.

The NPS said it does not know the status of the rescued survivor.

"Due to terrain and conditions at the site, a high-altitude helicopter was unable to land and instead conducted the evacuation using a long-line extraction. The climber was transported to the Kahiltna Base Camp and then transferred to a LifeMed air ambulance for transport to a hospital," the NPS said Friday.

Mount McKinley -- located in Alaska's Denali National Park and Preserve -- is the tallest peak in North America, according to the NPS.

The climbers, part of a seven-member climbing team, fell in the vicinity of Denali Pass, according to the NPS. 

The NPS received a report of the incident at around midnight Thursday after two other climbers were evacuated by helicopter from the mountain at around 11 p.m. Wednesday, as part of a separate incident, the NPS said. 

Three members of the climbing team returned to High Camp at 17,000 feet after attending to their fallen partners, the NPS said. 

The NPS said it is actively responding to the incident. Weather conditions on the mountain are improving and will soon enable helicopter operations, the NPS said. 

The extent of the climbers' injuries and their condition remains unknown, the NPS said. 

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