• A climbing accident in Washington's North Cascades left three men dead and one survivor.
• The survivor, Anton Tselykh, hiked for hours to seek help after the fall.
• The group was descending when their anchor point—a piton—failed, leading to the fall.
• Victims included Vishnu Irigireddy, described as an extraordinary leader by his company.
• Authorities are investigating the incident, especially the circumstances around the piton's failure.

A rock climbing accident occurred in Washington's North Cascades on Saturday, resulting in the tragic deaths of three climbers and leaving 38-year-old Anton Tselykh as the sole survivor. Tselykh managed to extricate himself from a mess of ropes and climbing gear and trekked for hours to call for help after the fall, which followed the failure of their anchor point—a metal piton, according to CBS News and SFGate.

The deceased climbers included Vishnu Irigireddy, 48, Tim Nguyen, 63, and Oleksander Martynenko, 36. Irigireddy was a tech executive at Fluke Corporation and is remembered as "an extraordinary leader" who made a significant impact in his field, according to India Times and India Times. Personal reflections from loved ones paint a picture of him as an experienced climber who found joy in nature.

The accident occurred while the group was descending from the North Early Winters Spire amidst deteriorating weather conditions. Reports indicate the piton they relied on for safety was likely old and may have been improperly set, leading to the tragic incident that saw all four men fall approximately 400 feet, according to reports from CBS News and SFGate.

Tselykh was knocked unconscious in the fall but regained his senses, hiked through harsh conditions to his car, and drove to a nearby town to call for help after approximately eight hours. Authorities have expressed amazement at his survival, especially considering he suffered internal bleeding and a traumatic brain injury, highlighted by CBS News and India Times.

The search and rescue operation involved difficult terrain, requiring a helicopter to recover the bodies after coordinates were provided from a GPS tracker the climbers carried. The presence of the piton still clipped to the ropes has raised questions about whether they had adequate safety measures in place, according to CBS News and SFGate.