The Latest: Search called off for 2 missing US climbers

SALT LAKE CITY – The Latest on two Utah climbers who disappeared while climbing a mountain peak in Pakistan (all times local Utah time):

3:50 p.m.

The Pakistani military has called off the helicopter search for two well-known Utah climbers.

Jonathan Thesenga, whose company sponsors one of the climbers, says the families of Kyle Dempster and Scott Adamson decided to end search efforts Saturday.

Thesenga says two helicopters conducted exhaustive sweeps of the area of over the men’s likely descent route as well as where they were last seen on Aug. 22.

Saturday was the first day that the weather was clear enough for a sweep.

Search team members say the chances of finding any sign of them are extremely slim.

A rescue attempt was launched last Sunday near northern Pakistan’s Choktoi Glacier after the pair failed to return to base camp Aug. 26.

They had been attempting to climb the north face of a 23,901-foot mountain.

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9:34 a.m.

A Pakistani military search team has yet to locate a pair of well-known Utah climbers who went missing on an icy mountain peak.

Global Rescue Operations spokeswoman Ann Shannon says a military helicopter conducted flights over the likely locations of the climbers Saturday morning.

A second helicopter was deployed after the first one had to refuel.

The aircraft were launched from Skardu and have been conducting searches at altitudes of up to 22,000 feet.

It is the first time the weather has cleared enough for helicopters to look for Kyle Dempster and Scott Adamson.

A rescue effort was launched last Sunday near northern Pakistan’s Choktoi Glacier after the men failed to return Aug. 26 to base camp.

They had been attempting to climb the north face of a 23,901-foot mountain.