A British climber and his guide who reached the summit of Mount Everest have been missing since Tuesday, and are presumed dead in the mountain’s so-called “death zone,” while attempting to descend.
The “death zone” is the area on the mountain above 26,000 feet, where low oxygen levels can cause impaired judgment, severe altitude sickness and death after an extended period of time. The mountain’s summit is 29,032 feet.
“On May 21st, at 4:40 AM, Daniel Paterson successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest — a monumental achievement and a testament to his strength and determination,” his partner, Becks Woodhead, wrote on a crowdfunding page this week. “Tragically, during his descent, Daniel went missing, and there has been no contact or sighting of him since.”
Paterson, 39, and his guide Pastenji Sherpa, 23, were hit by falling ice as they descended when a cornice collapsed, according to BBC News.
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The two had been climbing with a group organized by 8K Expeditions.
The company said on Instagram on Friday: “Despite exhaustive search efforts, we regret to confirm that Daniel and Pastenji were unable to be recovered from following incident.”
8K Expeditions told BBC that it wouldn’t be “possible” to find the men alive any longer.
The company said Paterson had “uplifting positivity and strong determination” and had previously summited the Nepalese mountains Amadablam and Island Peak.
They described Sherpa as a “dedicated climber” with a “warm spirit” who had summited Everest twice.
“We remember and honor their enduring spirits and extend our deepest condolences to their grieving families. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this profoundly difficult time,” the company added.
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Their disappearances come as videos have shown overcrowding on the mountain with long lines of climbers waiting their turn to reach the summit amid changing weather conditions.
April and May are considered some of the best months to climb Mount Everest because of the weather.
Not including Paterson and Sherpa, three people have died on the mountain this year, and 18 perished last year, Nepalese officials said, according to the New York Times.
Of the more than 300 people who have died on the mountain in total, around 200 bodies still remain because bringing them down the mountain would be too difficult, the Times reported.
A Kenyan climber was found dead this week after going missing, and two Romanian and British climbers and their guide also died this week, BBC reported.
Paterson had documented his Everest journey on Instagram, calling climbing the mountain a dream of his for most of his life.
“One thing I can guarantee is that I won’t be quitting. I don’t get scared much in life, but the thing that scares me the most is not achieving this,” he wrote.
Woodhead added of Paterson, who lives in Wakefield, England, “Dan is not just an adventurer; he is a beloved son, brother, partner, friend and a proud joint owner of Wakefield Crossfit. He is known for his adventurous spirit, his kindness, and his unwavering dedication to helping others.”
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Paterson had also been raising money for the family of CrossFit member who died of cancer.
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