George Johnson, a renowned mountain climber, along with his climbing partner Marc-Andre Leclerc, went missing on March 5, 2018, while scaling the Mendenhall Towers, located twelve miles from Juneau, Alaska. The pair had announced their success in completing a new route on the north face of the Main Tower through an Instagram post on the same day.

However, the climbers failed to return on March 7 as scheduled, and were reported as overdue. The search and rescue team began their operations on March 8, but the efforts were hampered due to a severe snowstorm in the region. Complicating the situation was the fact that Johnson and Leclerc did not carry any satellite phone or emergency beacon.

The search team discovered a collection of ski equipment left behind by the climbers at the base of the peak. They also came across an undamaged anchor rope at the top of an ice shoot in the Fourth Tower, and two climbing ropes in a crevasse midway down the same tower. Despite an extensive search operation, Johnson and Leclerc were never found, and the search was officially called off on March 14.

Johnson and Leclerc were both accomplished mountaineers, having won numerous awards for their climbing feats. Authorities believe that the climbers' bodies are still inside the crevasse where the climbing ropes were discovered. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks and dangers that come with pursuing adventure sports in the wilderness.