2 Americans, 1 Canadian mountaineers missing since Dec. 2 in New Zealand

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Three climbers -- two Americans and one Canadian --remain missing in the mountains of New Zealand, police said Tuesday.

The missing climbers have been identified as Americans Kurt Blair and Carlos Romero, along with an unnamed Canadian.

They were last seen on Dec. 2 attempting to scale Aoraki Mount Cook, the country’s tallest mountain and a challenging peak popular among experienced mountaineers, RNZ News reported.

Authorities had suspended the search on Dec. 6 due to poor conditions but resumed it Tuesday after the weather cleared.

While the climbers were not found, a ski pole was discovered during the search aided by a helicopter.

Police said the formal process to suspend the search is ongoing, but they will act on any credible information or sightings provided by the climbing community.