Woman Dies After Climbing Rope Fails

A group climb in Romania's Bucegi Mountains ended in tragedy when a 36-year-old woman fell to her death after a rope reportedly failed, People reports. The woman, identified by local outlets as dentist and mountaineer Antonia Mihailescu, was with three men and an instructor on the Valea Alba route on July 11 when all four climbers dropped an estimated 33 to 40 feet after the safety rope "gave way," according to Romanian media citing the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU). Per the Mirror, Mihailescu and the three men were clipped into a single anchor point that failed. The three men were reportedly seriously injured but survived.

Authorities said the group appeared to be hobbyists with limited training, but Prahova County Prefect Dan Nicodim told reporters early indications point to equipment failure rather than human error, and the Sun paints the victim as an experienced climber who reached Kilimanjaro's Uhuru Peak as well as Everest base camp. Four helicopters, including a Black Hawk, were sent to the steep, hard-to-reach site, and rescuers guided the climbers by phone to signal their location with lights. All four were initially conscious, but Mihailescu's condition reportedly deteriorated more than an hour after the fall, and she did not survive. The three men, ages 27 to 51, were flown to hospitals. Police have opened a criminal investigation into possible manslaughter or negligent bodily harm.