Need help

[anikoy]

Hi,

 

Friend of mine asked me to post this message here.

 

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Ben Horne and his climbing partner are missing in Peru. If some of my South American friends know how to arrange a plane in Peru, please help! Ben and his parents helped us a lot at WS100, and he is a just such a great guy and an athlete. Info from Konstantin Stoletov:

 

My friend, Ben, and his friend Gil, went to attempt a first ascent on

the south face of Palcaraju Oeste in Peru and have been missing for over 5 days now.

 

A search team found Ben and Gil's tent, followed tracks up the glacier to the base of the route (a 800 m face of steep snow and ice), and spotted tracks on the descent ridge at about 5,800 m. That's all they know so far.

 

Friday morning, they plan to take a satellite image of the 5800m mark (at Lat: 9°22'19.71"S; Long: 77°23'4.67"W), and to have a group on foot climb the ridge to the 5,800m mark. (It may be too dangerous to proceed, since the ridge does have a section of very broken glacier.)

 

They desperately need to do a flyover of the area ASAP, but haven't been able to find a plane, despite major efforts to do so. If you know anyone in Peru who could lend or rent a plane, please contact Liora (202) 558-8346;lioradanan@gmail.com

 

Please forward this message. You may know someone who can help.

 

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We appreciate you for any help.

 

Thank you.

 

Nikolay.

[ivan]

have they already contacted the us state department for assistance through their consulate in peru?

[tvashtarkatena]

Either Peruvian or other guide services and/or local climbing clubs might be good resources to enlist.

 

 

 

 

[Nevtrik]

The newest update on my friend Ben Horne as of Friday 920a PDT, from Liora, his fiancee: securing an aircraft remains an issue, but anyone with direct contacts with someone in the Peruvian military who owns a plane, please let me know and I'll forward your message to Lora (who will forward the message to the search team in Peru).

 

> At this point:

> We have a good lead on a private plane for tomorrow. Still happy to take suggestions of private planes people have access to -- you'd be amazed how many Peruvian pilots our network knows! We want someone out there today if possible.

> The US embassy in Lima is trying to get the Peruvian national guard to launch their planes. First the team on the ground has to report in from the mountain -- should happen in the next hour.

> Satellite imagery is in and they are analyzing it.

> Ben's network of elite climbers is hard at work identifying Peru-based climbers to back up the on-the-ground efforts. Unfortunately it sounds like the team there now can't go up until tomorrow morning.

> At this point, I literally cannot keep up with all of the leads coming in. If you have a very promising contact -- like a Peruvian military officer who owns a plane -- call me and I will give you the number of the guy coordinating on the ground. Anyone who has a good reason to call the embassy, it's 51-1-618-2000. It's possible the 1 before the 6 is dropped but I dont think so.

>

> Liora

> 202-558-8346

[ivan]

sad conclusion

 

wise sir, do not grieve

it is always better to avenge dear ones

than to indulge in morning

for every one of us, living in this world

means waiting for our end

let he who can achieve glory before death

when a warrior is gone, that will be his best

and only bulwark