Korean climber lost on highest peak in Alps

One South Korean man climbing the highest mountain in the Alps went missing and a fellow climber was rescued after a distress call, the South Korean Embassy in France said Tuesday.

A search for the missing 34-year-old man, only identified by the surname Lee, has been under way in the alpine zone near Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, a resort area in Haute-Savoie in southeast France bordering Switzerland and Italy, according to the embassy.

The other South Korean man also surnamed Lee, 44, was rescued Monday after the two telephoned a regional rescue squad for help early Sunday as they were stranded due to worsening weather on the 4,807-meter Mont Blanc.

The 44-year-old Lee was rescued by a rescue helicopter at a location 4,300 meters above sea level.

The local rescue team could not immediately move to the site because of the bad weather, its officials said.

The officials said they have yet to locate the 34-year-old Lee, and plan to resume their search and rescue once the weather gets better.

The two men reportedly work for the same company, and the rescued man resides in Germany. The missing man lives in Russia.

The rescued man was treated for hypothermia.

Yonhap