An American mountaineer has died near the Hillary Step while descending from the summit of Mt Everest this afternoon, bringing the number of climbers killed on the different mountains above 8,000 m to 12 during the spring climbing season.
Donald Lynn Cash, 55, collapsed at the summit of the 8,848-metre (29,029-foot) peak on Wednesday as he was taking photographs, his expedition organiser said Thursday, as a rush of climbers marked one of the busiest days on the world’s highest mountain.
“Our two Sherpas helped him gain consciousness but he died close to the Hilary Step as they were bringing him back,” Pasang Tenje Sherpa of Pioneer Adventure told media.
American climber Don Cash dies on Mt #Everest as death toll reaches 12. More: https://t.co/gzp1lpOgbj #Everest2019 pic.twitter.com/kvxiG726Hz
— Everest Today (@EverestToday) May 22, 2019
His death came as more than 200 climbers were heading towards the summit on both sides of Everest Wednesday as the weather cleared, with complaints of a traffic jam close to the top.
“We don’t have the exact number of summits yet, but it has been a very busy day. Teams have complained of having to wait two or more hours to reach the top,” said Gyanendra Shrestha, a government liaison officer stationed at base camp.
NOT A FIRST
World's highest mountain witnesses two more deaths due to ‘traffic jam‘. https://t.co/BAZNRr4oUB
— Mumbai Mirror (@MumbaiMirror) May 23, 2019
It is the third fatality on Everest this season after an Indian climber died last week and an Irish mountaineer is presumed dead after he slipped and fell close to the summit.
Mountaineering in Nepal has become a lucrative business since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made the first ascent of Everest in 1953.
The Himalayan nation has issued a record 381 permits costing $11,000 each for this year’s spring climbing season, sparking fears of bottlenecks en route to the summit if poor weather cuts down the number of climbing days.
Most Everest hopefuls are escorted by a Nepali guide, meaning more than 750 climbers will tread the same path to the top in the coming weeks.
And at least 140 others have been granted permits to scale Everest from the northern flank in Tibet, according to expedition operators. This could take the total past last year’s record of 807 people reaching the summit.
Many Himalayan mountains – including Everest – are at peak climbing season, with the window of good weather between late April and the end of May.
At least six other foreign climbers have died on other 8,000-metre Himalayan peaks while two are missing.
A Nepalese Sherpa climbed 29,000 ft. to reach the summit of Mount Everest for the twenty-third time — a new world record.
Six days later, Kami Rita climbed it again, to make the new record 24. He's now the Sherpa to look up to.
Here’s @MajorCBS https://t.co/ozaBz0ox81 pic.twitter.com/QVi1PiN9yh
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) May 22, 2019
According to the officials, the season witnessed at least 12 fatal incidents with three deaths on Mt Kanchenjunga, three each on Mt Everest and Mt Makalu as well as one each on Mt Lhotse, Mt Annapurna and Mt Cho Oyu till date. The descent turned out to be more deadly for the mountaineers this season, they added.