Rescue Operation for Missing Bulgarian Climber Boyan Petrov Continues

The rescue operation for the missing Bulgarian climber Boyan Petrov will continue on 15^th of May. This was announced by Kiril Petkov from the team of Boyan Petrov. Petkov is in the area of the rescue operation, which takes place along the slopes of Shishapangma in the Himalyas. At present, part of the Chinese mountaineers are searching the area of Camp 1. Yesterday, the rescuers found items which were deemed to belong to the Bulgarian climber. Deyan Petkov, who is part of Petrov team in Bulgaria, told BNT that if the rescue efforts continue, it will be at the will of the people who are there, along the slopes near the summit of Shishpangma.

Yesterday the helicopters could not join the search due to bad weather and the rescue teams on land returned to the base camp with Boyan Petrov's belongings found at Camp 3.

Kiril Petkov told the Bulgarian National Radio that the search is planned to continue today and tomorrow, in order to check all other options.

"The Chinese group remained, did not come back, although they could, with the idea of analyzing comparatively low-mountain points between Camp 1 and the base camp." They are now searching in the area of these points, the mission is not over, it continues until they exhaust all possibilities. Having a search in the possible areas in the low mountain is the number 1 priority,” stressed Kiril Petkov.

It was sunny in the morning, now the peak is covered with clouds, there is fog, Kiril Petkov said. He himself has not seen the climbers' belongings discovered and brought to the base camp yesterday. Some of the potential points subject to the search have already been analyzed, viewed through various scanners on filters. Very hypothetically and in the hope of a miracle, the rescue group continues to work, Petkov added, according to whom the life of the rescuers is now completely out of danger.

"It was scary when they were 10 metres below the summit. We are talking about an altitude of 8,000 metres. It did not make sense to push for other 10 metres to reach the top because there was no chance Boyan was found alive there. It was not worth to risk the life of the rescuers for 10 metres. Now, they are in the lower part of the mountain, the risk is if not zero, at least very small, he said.

Petkov remains at the scene of the rescue operation for sure tomorrow.

In the coming days, the Bulgarian team will give a press conference, which is expected to report more details on how the rescue operation took place. Today is the tenth day from the start.

Boyan Petrov has been missing since 3 May somewhere along the slopes of Shishapangma peak in the Himalayas.