A 49-year-old climber has lost his life while trying to save his fellow climber and friend, who broke her leg and was trapped near the summit. Luca Sinigaglia of Milan, Italy, set an example of extreme courage and humanity by trying to save another life in harsh conditions.
Luca died on August 15 due to prolonged exposure to low oxygen levels and hypothermia at Pobeda Peak, located at around 24,406 feet on the China–Kyrgyzstan border. As per the media reports, the Italian climber had summited the peak multiple times to bring supplies to his injured and stranded fellow climber, Natalia Nagovitsyna.
Italian climber Luca Sinigaglia, 49, perished on August 15 at Kyrgyzstan’s Pobeda Peak while attempting to rescue his friend Natalia Nagovitsyna, who was trapped after a fall, exemplifying a tragic act of bravery against nature’s relentless odds. pic.twitter.com/mWkRuivWo9
— Nyra Kraal (@NyraKraal) August 24, 2025
47-year-old Natalia fell and broke her leg on August 12, and then, Luca had been bringing her supplies like a tent, food, water, and a sleeping bag. Unfortunately, he lost his life on August 15 as he couldn’t make it to the peak.
According to The Times, he was found in an ice cave 2,000 feet from where Natalia was stuck. The report mentions that he had collapsed from exhaustion and probably died from cerebral edema, or an excess of fluid in the brain, as per the doctors.
Luca’s sister, Patrizia Sinigaglia, said, “He carried out an act of great courage. He would never have left anyone behind, and especially not Natalia, with whom he had survived an experience that made them very close.”
“It was an action to be proud of that unfortunately did not allow him to return to us. But that was Luca,” she added.
Corsa disperata contro il tempo per salvare Natalia #Nagovitsyna, alpinista russa di 47 anni, bloccata con una gamba rotta a 7000 metri di altezza sul #Pobeda Peak. Tentativi di soccorsi via aerea e via terra sono finora falliti pic.twitter.com/51emvkE74m
— Alessandro Ghezzer (@aghezzer) August 20, 2025
The deceased climber was joined by German mountaineer Gunther Siegmund in an attempt to save Natalia. Siegmund later climbed to safety while Luca died on his way to Natalia.
There have been many rescue attempts by several agencies to save Natalia but there hasn’t been any luck so far. The Russian Mountaineering Federation and Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations has reportedly been trying to save the stranded climber for 13 days.
Traģēdija ar krievu alpīnisti Natāliju Nagovicinu, kura visticamāk gājusi bojā vienatnē septiņu kilometru augstumā, izsaukusi milzīgu domu un viedokļu apmaiņu. Diemžēl visbriesmīgākie komentāri par Natālijas likteni ir tieši no viņas tautiešiem… https://t.co/7NvMF1dFVH pic.twitter.com/WIZUrWGdUG
— alpīnists Kristaps Liepiņš (@vx_lv) August 23, 2025
Kyrgyzstan Defense Ministry also made unsuccessful attempts, as a helicopter crashed during the rescue. On Saturday, August 23, a climbing attempt was aborted about 3,600 feet from where she is trapped, as the weather conditions worsened.
Currently, it’s hard to say if Natalia is alive or not. At freezing temperatures and strong winds, her tent might have been shredded, and she may have run out of food supplies. As per CNN, a surveillance drone spotted her on August 19, and she was believed to be alive at that moment. However, the chances of her survival look bleak as it “will be almost impossible to save her,” as per Alexander Pyatnitsyn, vice president of the Russian Mountaineering Federation.
However, people aren’t ready to give up as yet. It is reported that three Italian climbers are planning to charter a private helicopter to save Natalia and fulfill Luca’s mission, which cost him his life.
