KATHMANDU, MAY 21
An Australian climber died at the Balcony area above 8,000m on Mt Everest, expedition organizer has confirmed.
Dawa Steven Sherpa, Managing Director at Asian Trekking, said that 40-year-old Jason Bernard Kennison from Australia breathed his last while returning from the summit point on May 19. Jason, a mining engineer, was a part of the expedition run by Asian Trekking.
Jason, who was with two Sherpa guides, started showing abnormal behavior from the South Summit and Sherpa guides brought him to the Balcony area. "They ran out of oxygen and bringing supplement bottles from Camp IV couldn't be possible due to excessive winds," Sherpa said, adding that two of his guides descended to Camp IV without taking any risk to their lives. Jason, who collapsed near the balcony area, refused to move with Sherpa guides, he added. Jason's remains are still in the Balcony area.
Jason reportedly suffered multiple broken bones and a spinal cord injury after the road accident in 2006 and spent years in recovery, having to learn how to walk again. He aimed at raising funds for Spinal Cord Injuries Australia to help others who are in similar situations, reports said.
Mt Everest has recorded ten deaths this spring season. Two climbers are still missing above the high camps. Deaf and mute Malaysian Hawari Bin Hashim, 33, has gone missing since May 18 when he arrived at Camp IV from the summit point while Shrinivas Sainis Dattatraya, an Indian Singaporean climber, went missing from 8,500m on Mt Everest. Shrinivas reportedly fell from 8,500 into the Tibetan side. Efforts are underway to search the missing climber, expedition organizers said.
According to officials, Malaysian police Ag Askandar Bin Ampuan Yaacub died above South Col while climbing Mt Everest on May 19.
Xuebin Chen, 52, breathed his last near south summit on Mt Everest while heading for the summit push on May 18. An Indian woman climber, Suzanne Leopoldina Jesus, who fell ill at the Mt Everest base camp also died in Lukla while undergoing treatment at Lukla-based hospital at around 5:13am on May 18. Victor Brinza from Moldova breathed his last after he fell ill at South Col on May 17. Phurba Sherpa from Sankhuwasabha breathed his last near Yellow Band above Camp III on May 16. American Doctor Jonathan Sugarman, 69, died during his acclimatization rotation at Camp II on May 01.
On April 12, Dawa Tseri Sherpa, Pemba Tenzing Sherpa, and Lakpa Rita Sherpa were buried in an avalanche that struck an icefall route above the base camp.
