New Jersey man dies attempting to climb Alaska's Denali
The Alaska Range with Mount McKinley and Wonder Lake with Tundra swans (Cygnus columbianus) in the fall, Denali National Park, Alaska, USA. (Photo by: Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
A climber from New Jersey has died after collapsing near the summit of Alaska's Denali mountain.
48-year-old Fernando Birman of Stockton, collapsed around 5:45 p.m. Friday at an elevation of 19,700 feet while on an attempt to reach the top of the 20,310-foot peak.
The National Park Service issued a statement announcing the death.
The statement said that his mountain guides immediately initiated CPR but he never regained a pulse. He was believed to have suffered a heart attack.
After his death, Birman's body was moved to a plateau and taken down from the mountain by helicopter before being sent to the Alaska medical examiner's office late Friday night.
Birman was part of a 12-member guided tour that began its ascent on May 22, said Sharon Stiteler, a spokesperson for Denali National Park.
There have been 129 climbing deaths at the park since 1932, Stiteler said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.