A British climber and his guide have gone missing on Mount Everest after making their way down from the summit.
Daniel Paul Paterson, 40, and his guide, Pas Tenji Sherpa, 23 were last heard from on Tuesday at 4.44am local time (11.59pm), when they reached the top of Earth’s highest mountain, Nepalese officials said.
The pair were part of a 15-strong team with the company 8K Expeditions, led by Bolivian climber David Hugo Ayaviri Quispe.
A member of the team told The Times that a “cornice broke off and washed down a few climbers including Daniel and his guide towards the Tibet side”.
A British climber and his guide have gone missing on Mount Everest after making their way down from the summit
The incident is understood to have happened at Hillary Step, a 12-metre nearly vertical rock face, which is the last obstacle climbers have to face before summiting.
Paterson’s partner Beck Woodhead said yesterday that she had not heard from him and along with their families, was waiting for any news.
A rescue mission of six climbers has been launched, however, hopes are fading that anyone could survive more than a day in the “death zone” due to its extremely high altitude.
A Sherpa with the group said: “Eyewitnesses reported the incident took place between Summit Ridge and South Summit and some climbers were swept away in Kangshung Face.
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“Our dedicated search and rescue teams are deployed on the ground. They are working tirelessly to locate our missing climbers. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families during this challenging time.”
Paterson posted online two weeks ago that he was “waiting impatiently for a summit window”. Officials at base camp said that a good weather window was due to close by the end of the week, causing many climbers to aim for the summit on Monday and Tuesday.
Last week, Paterson, a keen climber, posted on Instagram that he was shocked by the size of Base Camp, which he described as a “logistical masterpiece”.
His last post online was six days ago, when he reshared a friend’s good luck post which said he would “be back down in 6 days ish”.
He trained in the Himalayas and shared on his social media last year that he became emotional when he saw the summit from Base Camp. “My dream will always be to conquer this,” he said.
Last week, Paterson posted on Instagram that he was shocked by the size of Base Camp
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A Foreign Office spokesperson said this afternoon: “We are supporting the family of a British man who is reported as missing in Nepal and are in touch with local authorities.”
In recent years, Everest has become extremely overcrowded with large queues forming on the mountain as climbers can only summit in small weather windows.
There are worries that many of the climbers are inexperienced, creating serious risks for both the climbers and the guides.
In 2023, 18 people died on the mountain, the worst year in history. Around 330 people have lost their lives trying to conquer the mountain since 1922.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
