STOCKTON, NJ – A New Jersey man collapsed and died while attempting to climb Alaska’s Denali on Friday, the National Parks Service reported.
“A climber collapsed at 19,700-feet on Denali during a summit attempt the evening of Friday, June 3. His mountain guides immediately initiated cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at approximately 5:45 pm, but the climber, 48-year-old Fernando Birman, never regained a pulse. Birman, who comes from Stockton, New Jersey, was pronounced deceased on the scene. The cause of death is unknown, but consistent with sudden cardiac arrest,” the federal parks agency reported.
According to the NPS, Birman’s guides assisted in the body recovery, which was made from the 19,500-foot plateau known as the Football Field using a short-haul basket. Birman’s body was transferred to the State of Alaska medical examiner late Friday night