The climbers were in severe distress after the avalanche and needed immediate evacuation.

distress 是名词，意思是“极度痛苦、危难、困境”，指人或事物处于危险或困难中、需要得到帮助的状态。在登山、航海等户外场景中，distress 常指遭遇危险、需要紧急救援的状态。