MA Woman Dies After Avalanche On World's 14th Tallest Mountain

AUBURN, MA — Mountaineer and Auburn native Gina Marie Rzucidlo has been declared dead by search teams in China following a weekend avalanche in the Himalayas over the weekend.

Rzucidlo, 45, was attempting to summit Shishapangma Mountain as part of a bid to become the first woman from the U.S. to climb all 14 mountains above 26,000 feet. Rzucidlo and her Nepalese sherpa, Tenjen Sherpa, were both initially missing, but Chinese authorities called off the search amid treacherous conditions.

"Through tear-filled eyes and with an enormous hole in my heart, I type this post that I never thought I would have to make. The Rzucidlo family wants to share that Chinese authorities have declared my sister Gina and her Sherpa Tenjen Lama as deceased," sister Christy Rzucidlo said in a Facebook post.

The search for Rzucidlo's body will resume in the spring when weather improves, her sister said.

Rzucidlo died alongside fellow American mountaineer Anna Gutu, 32, who was also attempting to become the first American woman to summit all 14 of the world's highest peaks. Shishapangma is the world's 14th tallest peak at 26,335 feet, about 3,000 feet shorter than Mt. Everest.

Rzucidlo's friends have set up a GoFundMe fundraiser for her, anticipating a high cost to get her home.

"Gina was a skilled climber and mountaineer but above all she was a beloved daughter, sister, and aunt," the fundraiser page said. "Details are still coming in but financial support will be needed as fast as possible to help bring Gina home and any financial support the family needs."