A helicopter search for Canadian mountain runner Kalie McCrystal has been called off following extensive aerial sweeps of the Italian side of the Matterhorn that failed to locate the 38-year-old athlete and lawyer from Squamish, B.C. The operation was suspended after a full day of searches on Thursday yielded no sign of her.
McCrystal was last spotted on Tuesday near the Jean-Antoine Carrel hut at approximately 3,830 meters as she headed towards the summit. Despite deploying a large air ambulance helicopter initially, rescuers later switched to a smaller aircraft to navigate closer to the mountain’s rugged cliffs and narrow gullies in hopes of finding her, but to no avail.
The final confirmed sighting occurred when a mountain guide encountered McCrystal above the Carrel hut. The guide reported seeing her continuing her ascent swiftly, mentioning her training for a record attempt, after which she was not seen by anyone.
The Matterhorn, a notable peak in the Alps, stands at 4,478 meters and straddles Italy and Switzerland. McCrystal was preparing in the Cervinia area of northwestern Italy for a challenge to climb and descend the Matterhorn via the Lion Ridge route in under five hours.
Efforts to locate McCrystal included extensive searches of steep gullies, cliff areas, and sections of the route on both the Italian and Swiss sides. A helicopter-mounted RECCO detector was utilized in the search, aiming to detect any compatible reflectors that might be on McCrystal’s gear, but no signals were detected. Similarly, attempts to establish a signal from McCrystal’s cell phone were unsuccessful.
Known for her skyrunning prowess, McCrystal is a prominent Canadian skyrunner who competes in challenging mountain races at high altitudes. She has previously triumphed in Argentina’s 4 Refugios Non-Stop event and completed a solo ascent and descent of the Matterhorn via the Swiss Hörnli Ridge in a remarkable time.
While the dedicated helicopter search has been halted, local mountain guides continue to scour the area for any signs of McCrystal. Authorities are awaiting new information from the police to potentially reinitiate a targeted search effort. Global Affairs Canada has been contacted for further updates on the situation.