Sherpas recover Aussie climber Styrdom’s body on Everest; Indian Army col airlifted from Camp II
Sherpas recover Aussie climber Styrdom’s body on Everest; Indian Army col airlifted from Camp II
Published: 06:37 pm May 24, 2016
KATHMANDU: Rescuers on Tuesday recovered the body of Australian woman climber who died near Camp IV while descending from the summit of the world’s highest mountain on Nepal side. According to Mingma Sherpa, owner of Seven Summit Treks, a group of 13 climbing Sherpas recovered the body of Dr Maria Strydom at around 1:00 pm today. The trekking company mobilised trained Sherpas to bring her body back to Camp II from where that could be airlifted to Kathmandu, he said. The Monash Business School lecturer died after suffering from altitude-related sickness while she was descending from the summit point along with her husband Robert James Gropel on Saturday. Gropel's parents also arrived in Kathmandu to expedite the efforts to retrieve and repatriate Styrdom’s body at the earliest. “They plan to bring her body to Camp II by late in the night,” Sherpa said, adding that the team would also try to retrieve the body of a Dutch climber – Eric Arnold – who also died near Camp IV after making it to the roof of the world on Saturday. Another team of Sherpas also reached Camp III on Mt Dhaulagiri on Tuesday to retrieve body of Rajib Bhattacharya, who breathed his last while descending from the summit on May 19, Sherpa said. “Depending upon weather pattern, his body would be brought to lower camps in a day or two.” One of the team leaders of the NCC Girls Everest Expeditions was evacuated from Camp II after he suffered of altitude-related sicknesses near Camp III. “Colonel Vishal Ahlawat was airlifted to Kathmandu from camp II this afternoon after rescuers brought him safely down from the higher camps,” Sherpa added. The Indian Army colonel is now undergoing treatment at Nepal Army Hospital. Health condition of the Everest summiteer is stable as well as out of danger, a hospital source said. Discussions with relatives and concerned authorities were underway to search for missing climbers -- Paresh Chandra Nath (58) and Goutam Ghosh (51)  -- as well as bring Subash Pal’s body back from higher camps, Wangchu Sherpa, the managing director at Trekking Camp Nepal, said. Two Indian climbers went missing near south point since Saturday while Pal (40) died near Camp II after descending from the Mt Everest summit on Sunday night. Issuing a status report in Kathmandu on Monday, the Embassy of India said that it was in constant touch with all the authorities concerned with rescue operations, as well as Deepankar Ghosh, an official from Government of West Bengal. The Embassy made all arrangements for hospitalisation of rescued climbers, as well as onward transportation of mortal remains upon arrival in Kathmandu, it added. READ ALSO: Without oxgyen aid, American woman set record on Mt Everest from Tibet side