New Zealand climbers trapped on Solomon Islands' highest mountain
Torrential rain has left two men stranded on the side Solomon Islands' largest mountain.
Two New Zealand men, Keanu Isaksson, 25, and Luca Zylstra, 19, have been trapped on the Solomon Islands' highest mountain, Mount Popomanaseu, for five days. The climbers became stranded in a ravine during their descent due to torrential rain that made the ground impassable. Rescue attempts, both on foot and by helicopter, have been unsuccessful so far.
The men had initially climbed Mount Popomanaseu in search of a remote adventure and to prepare for a future trip to the Amazon. Isaksson's mother, Denise Holl, said the men had enough food to last them six more days if they rationed it. Holl stated that torrential rain had made the ground too unstable for them to retreat across the river.
The terrain's difficulty also prevented a helicopter from landing to winch the men out. New Zealand and Australia have provided consular assistance to the families of the stranded climbers. Holl expressed hope that the men would be rescued once the weather improves, noting their experience with steep terrain and positive spirits.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
