Climber dies, another rescued at Guadalupe Mountains National Park, NPS says

A climber died and another was rescued at Guadalupe Mountains National Park over the weekend, according to the National Park Service.

The NPS was notified that one climber was stranded and another had fallen off an edge Saturday afternoon. A rescue team reached the stranded climber Sunday morning. The one who had fallen was found dead.

One of the rescue team members sustained an unspecified injury and was taken to El Paso for care, the NPS said.

The park said in a statement it was “saddened by this tragedy and our entire park community extends sincere condolences to the family and friends of those involved.”

All types of rock climbing are prohibited in the park, the NPS said.

“Most of the rock within Guadalupe Mountains National Park is highly fractured limestone,” the park said in a statement. “These conditions are prevalent throughout the park and create loosely jointed rock that is easily dislodged, resulting in dangerous climbing conditions.”

The names of the climbers were not immediately released.