Kathmandu: An Australian mountaineer, Jason Bernard Kennison, died after becoming unresponsive on the way down from Mount Everest's 8,849-metre peak.
"He achieved his goal of reaching the peak. He stood on top of this world but sadly didn't come home. He was the most courageous, adventurous human we knew and he will be forever missed," said his family in a statement shared on Facebook.
The incident took place in an area that is commonly known as the "death zone". It is an area of the mountain above 8000 metres.
The sherpa guides noticed that Kennison was behaving abnormally while descending and they helped him down to the balcony area which is 8,400m above sea level. According to Asian Trekking Chief Dawa Steven Sherpa, they decided to descend to Camp 4 because the oxygen cylinders were running out. They were hoping to climb back with oxygen cylinders to rescue him.
Due to strong winds, the guides were unable to reach the camp and Kennison had by then collapsed and died, reported AFP.
His remains are still on the mountain. This is the tenth fatality on Mount Everest this climbing season. According to Nepal's tourism department, around 450 climbers have taken the trip this season.
Kennison was in a car crash in 2006 and he was told he will never walk again. After recovery, he decided to raise money for Spinal Cord Injuries Australia, an organisation that provides advocacy and services to people with spinal cord injuries and similar conditions. On the fundraising page, he wrote that he is hoping to continue to higher camps of the mountain.
"Whilst I wish to complete the ascent to challenge myself both mentally and physically, my main reason is to raise funds and awareness for Spinal Cord Injuries Australia, to help people living with spinal cord injury to live their best life," he wrote. Sharing the details about his injury and recovery, he said it was resilience and support that helped him get better and people who changed his life should not be forgotten.
"Someone close to me convinced me that I was still capable of being able to do anything I wanted. I am going to make the most of my life and part of that involves helping other people who have had their life changed in an instant through spinal cord injury. They shouldn’t be forgotten; they should be helped," wrote the 40-year-old.