Ariel Freeman
Israeli mountain climber dies in India
While hiking along the Ganges River, Israeli mountain climber Ariel Freeman, 50, slipped and fell to his death—the latest in a string of hiker fatalities in the area over the past two weeks.
An Israeli hiker was killed while walking along a cliff next to the Ganges River in northern India on Tuesday.
Ariel Freeman, 50, from Moshav Nir Tzvi, was hiking with his wife and fellow trekkers when the tragedy struck. Those accompanying Freeman were only able to report the incident on Wednesday after they reached an area with cell phone service.
Ariel Freeman
His body was recovered at the scene, and has been taken to the police station in the town of Uttarkashi. The Israeli Foreign Ministry is assisting the family.
The local police reported that this is the second time in two weeks that a foreigner had fallen victim to the treacherous mountainous area while hiking.
According to police, a group of five hikers began their journey on Monday and attempted to reach the source of the Ganges River—an 18 kilometer hike. The group continued on their path into Tuesday after sleeping on the trail.
Scene of the tragedy
"The accident occurred while he was walking and slipped and fell into a fissure," the incident report said.
The travelers were planning to hike to the Gangotri Glacier situated over 4,400 meters above sea level, and use the area as a base from which to hike to Mt. Shivling, amongst other mountains.
Ariel Freeman
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Many people have died attempting to climb the mountains in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, located on the border with Nepal, falling prey to either falls or altitude sickness.
Two Polish mountain climbers died in the area a week ago, and a third is still missing.
