Ali Sadpara rescue mission: Pakistan Army utilised F-16 to take photographic surveys

• K2 Virtual and Physical Base Camp on Monday said that an important press conference will be held today.
  
• Sadpara and other team members went missing on February 5 during the expedition to K2.
  
•  An extraordinary search operation in the history of mountaineering is underway on K2.
  

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army sent an F-16 jet to take the photographic surveys when the weather prevented rotary machines from approaching K2 during the search mission to locate Pakistani climber Ali Sadpara and other missing climbers, according to a statement issued by British-American climber Vanessa O’Brien.

Vanessa O’Brien, who is Pakistan’s Goodwill Ambassador, is also coordinating the search efforts through a virtual base camp, issued a statement saying an important press conference will be held Monday (today) to provide more information about the missing climbers.

Pakistani mountaineer Sadpara along with two other climbers Juan Pablo Mohr and John Snorri went missing on February 5 during their expedition to K2 and efforts to locate them so har have failed.

The K2 Virtual and Physical Base Camp team in the press release said that “an extraordinary search operation in the history of mountaineering” is underway on K2.

With possible locations been identified through satellite images, the camp notified that information was also obtained through synthetic aperture radar technology, which has been used to identify and track the sleeping bags and tents of the mountaineers.

“When the weather prevented rotary machines from approaching K2, the Pakistan Army sent a F-16 to take the photographic surveys. We proved the SAT/SAR technology worked, too, as it helped us identify points that we searched for later. Unfortunately, these 'leads' turned out to be a sleeping bag, torn tents or sleeping pads. None of these were Ali Sadpara, Juan Pablo Mohr or John Snorri Sigurjonsson,” it added.

“These three strong and courageous mountaineers have 13 children, John Snorri Sigurjonsson (6), Ali Sadpara (4), and Juan Pablo Mohr (3), and I know they all felt loved by their families. Please give these families time, space and compassion. Share your stories about them, so they will be remembered.”

Ali Sadpara, who celebrated his 45th birthday at K2 Base Camp on February 2 before he started the summit bid, has a record of climbing the eight highest peaks in the world and hoisting the Pakistan flag.