(PatriotNews.net) – A British climber and his guide, who summited the top of Mount Everest, since May 21st, have been missing. It’s believed they died in the mountain’s notorious “death zone” while coming back down.
The “death zone” is an area above 26,000 feet where conditions become extremely dangerous due to low oxygen levels. This lack of oxygen can cause poor decision-making, serious altitude sickness, and even death if one stays too long. Mount Everest’s summit reaches an incredible height of 29,032 feet.
On May 21st, Daniel Paterson reached the summit of Mount Everest at 4:40 AM. His partner, Becks Woodhead, shared on a crowdfunding page that it was a monumental achievement for him. However, during his descent, he went missing. There has been no contact or sighting of him since then.
Paterson, 39, and his guide Pastenji Sherpa, 23, were struck by falling ice when a cornice collapsed during their descent. The two had been climbing with a group organized by 8K Expeditions.
On Instagram, the company confirmed the tragic news. Despite exhaustive search efforts, Daniel and Pastenji could not be recovered following the incident.
8K Expeditions also mentioned that finding the men alive was no longer possible. They praised Paterson’s uplifting positivity and strong determination. Paterson had previously summited Nepalese mountains Amadablam and Island Peak. They described Sherpa as a committed climber with a friendly nature who had reached the top of Everest twice.
Their disappearances coincide with videos showing overcrowding on the mountain. Long lines of climbers wait their turn to reach the summit amidst changing weather conditions. April and May are considered some of the best months to climb Mount Everest due to the weather.
This year, three other climbers have died on the mountain, and 18 perished last year, according to Nepalese officials. Of the more than 300 people who have died on Everest, around 200 bodies remain because bringing them down is too difficult.
Paterson documented his Everest journey on Instagram, expressing that climbing the mountain was a lifelong dream. He said he wasn’t afraid of many things in life, but not achieving this dream scared him.
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