The search operation utilizing helicopters for Canadian mountain runner Kalie McCrystal has been halted after extensive aerial searches over the Italian side of the Matterhorn yielded no signs of the 38-year-old athlete and attorney from Squamish, B.C.
The intensive helicopter search was called off after a full day of flying on Thursday produced no evidence of her whereabouts.
McCrystal was last spotted on Tuesday near the Jean-Antoine Carrel hut, at an elevation of approximately 3,830 metres, as she aimed for the peak.
Rescue teams first dispatched a large air ambulance helicopter before transitioning to a smaller aircraft that could navigate closer to the mountain’s steep rock faces and narrow valleys.
“We opted for a smaller helicopter that can approach the cliffs and inspect the couloirs,” Valerio Segor from the Valle d’Aosta mountain rescue service informed CBC. “They did not observe anything.”
The last confirmed sighting occurred when a mountain guide encountered McCrystal above the Carrel hut.
Canadian mountain runner Kalie McCrystal, 38, from Squamish, B.C., in an Instagram photo posted on Aug. 7. McCrystal was last seen on Tuesday as she headed toward the Matterhorn’s summit. (@kalie_mcc/Instagram)
“She was seen ascending quite rapidly and [McCrystal] informed the guide that she was training to attempt a record,” Segor recounted. “No one has seen her since that moment.”
The Matterhorn, one of the most iconic peaks in the Alps, rises to 4,478 metres and is situated on the border between Italy and Switzerland.
Helicopter search initiatives
McCrystal had been located in the Cervinia region of northwestern Italy, preparing to tackle the Matterhorn by climbing and descending it in under five hours via the Lion Ridge, the primary route from the Italian side.
Her disappearance triggered a thorough search of the mountain. Rescue teams scoured steep gullies, cliff bands, and various segments of the route on both the Italian and Swiss sides.
Segor mentioned that they also employed a helicopter-mounted RECCO detector, a radar system designed to find compatible reflectors integrated into some outdoor gear and apparel. A friend had informed authorities that McCrystal’s backpack may have contained one.
“We utilized the antenna mounted on the helicopter,” he stated. “However, we did not detect any signals from a RECCO beacon” on either side of the border.
Efforts to obtain a signal from McCrystal’s mobile phone have also been unsuccessful.
Previous skyrunning experience
McCrystal is recognized as one of Canada’s top skyrunners, competing in challenging mountain terrains at high altitudes.
Earlier this year, she triumphed in Argentina’s 4 Refugios Non-Stop, covering around 40 kilometres with an elevation gain of 3,350 metres.
A tourist walks with the Matterhorn mountain in the background, above the resort of Zermatt in the Swiss Alps in 2020. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)
She had also recently challenged herself on the Matterhorn, completing a solo ascent and descent from Zermatt via the Swiss Hörnli Ridge in a time of six hours, 47 minutes, and 33 seconds on Aug. 14, according to the Fastest Known Time database.
Ten days later, she participated in Italy’s Trofeo Kima, one of the most technically challenging races in the international skyrunning circuit.
Though the intensive helicopter operation has ceased, the search continues in a different capacity.
“We have mountain guides who climb that mountain nearly every day,” Segor noted. “They are on the lookout. If they spot anything, they will certainly inform us.”
Rescue teams are currently waiting for further information from the police that could provide new leads and enable a more focused search to resume.
CBC News has contacted Global Affairs Canada; a spokesperson indicated that the agency would provide a response as soon as possible.