Three mountain climbers from the United States and Canada are missing after they did not return from their planned summit New Zealand‘s tallest mountain, Aorakiofficials said Tuesday.
The Americans are Kurt Blair, 56, of Colorado and Carlos Romero, 50, of California. The Canadian national is not being named by New Zealand Police until his family is notified.
Blair and Romero are listed on the American Mountain Guides Association website as certified alpine guides.
The three men arrived by plane at a hut partway up Aoraki, also known as Mount Cook, on Saturday afternoon, with plans to ascend the 12,218-foot mountain, New Zealand Police said in a statement.
The search for them began Monday after they failed to show up for their morning flight, police said. Searchers have found several climbing-related items that are believed to belong to the trio.
The search was temporarily halted on Tuesday due to severe weather conditions on the mountain. Police said the search was unlikely to resume until Thursday.
They said they were working with the US and Canadian embassies to inform and support the families of the three men.
Aoraki, part of the Southern Alps mountain range that runs the length of New Zealand’s South Island, is a popular destination for advanced climbers but has challenging terrain. Since the start of the 20th century, more than 240 deaths have been recorded on the mountain and in the national park that surrounds it, according to The Associated Press.