Two female climbers, 27 and 28, are killed in fall during climb of Wyoming mountain without ropes - but friend is saved by ledge at 11,500ft

• Tyler Strandberg, 27, and Catherine Nix, 28, plunged to their deaths 
• A third member of the party, Rebecca Anderson, 26, was rescued 
• She was evacuated by rangers after calling for help with her cell phone
• They were climbing in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming 
• Park services said the trio weren't using ropes at the time  

By Wills Robinson For Dailymail.com and Associated Press

Published: 15:32 EST, 23 August 2015 | Updated: 05:10 EST, 24 August 2015

Two women have died after falling 200ft while attempting a daring climb on a mountain in the Grand Teton National Park.

Tyler Strandberg, 27, and Catherine Nix, 28, who were both living in Jackson, Wyoming, were scaling a rocky ledge 11,500ft up when they plunged to their death.

Their friend Rebecca Anderson, 26, landed on another ledge after the fall and was rescued by park rangers after using her cell phone to call for help.

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Tyler Strandberg, 27, (left) and 28-year-old Catherine Nix, both died after falling 200ft while trying to climb Teewinot mountain in the Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

The National Park Service says the accident occurred around 11 am Saturday on the 12,300-foot Teewinot Mountain, the sixth-tallest peak in the Teton Range. 

The three women were attempting to ascend the East Face of the mountain and were well off the preferred route when the two fell.

The Park Service says they weren't using ropes at the time.

Anderson used her cell phone to reach the Teton Interagency Dispatch Center about 11:15 am on Saturday to report the accident.

She  reportedly told dispatchers that she couldn't see her friends, and tried yelling to them. She couldn't move to try and see the pair as she was stuck on the ledge. 

A statement from the park read: 'Upon receiving the call, rangers quickly assembled a plan to reach the three climbers. 

'Three rangers were inserted via short-haul to Strandberg and Nix's location, a rocky ledge at an elevation of about 11,500 feet located just above the "Worshipper" and "Idol" rock towers. 

'On arrival, the rangers assessed the condition of Strandberg and Nix, who were both unresponsive after taking an apparent fall of 200 feet. They were pronounced dead on the scene by the rangers in consultation with park medical director Dr. Will Smith.

'The rangers then turned their attention to Anderson who was stranded above the scene. Two rangers climbed steep and technical terrain for about an hour to reach Anderson, who was uninjured, and prepared her for an evacuation.  

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Miss Sandberg (pictured left and right) and her two friends were not using ropes while they climbed, The Park Service said

'She was short-hauled with an attending ranger to the Lupine Meadows Rescue Cache at 4:19 p.m. The remaining ranger then rappelled back down to Strandberg and Nix's location.'

Strandberg was from Raleigh, North Carolina while Nix hailed from Port Chester, New York.

According to their Facebook profiles, both women were avid adventurers and shared pictures of themselves on mountains. 

The statement from the park added: 'Though the route is frequently climbed without ropes, the terrain is very steep and good route-finding skills, mountaineering experience, and caution are essential. 

'The climbers were well off the East Face route and in much more difficult technical terrain when the fall occurred. They were not using ropes at the time of the fall and were apparently trying to find the proper route.'

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Nix is seen standing in Looking Glass Arch in Utah's Canyon Country. The pair both shared pictures of their hiking and climbing trips on their Facebook profiles

The National Park Service says the accident occurred around 11 am on Saturday on the 12,300-foot Teewinot Mountain, the sixth-tallest peak in the Teton Range (pictured) 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3208165/2-climbers-die-fall-Grand-Teton-National-Park.html#ixzz3jjOD4NlZ
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