Brit climber, 40, and his Sherpa MISSING on Mount Everest after being ‘hit by falling ice’ during descent from summit
A BRIT climber who went to scale Mount Everest has gone missing along with his sherpa after getting “hit by falling ice”.
Daniel Paul Paterson, 40, and Pas Tenji Sherpa, 23, have not been heard from since they reached the summit on Tuesday, authorities in Nepal have said.
They were part of a 15-member team with 8K Expeditions – and were being led by the expert climber David Hugo Ayaviri Quispe from Bolivia.
It is feared that after reaching the summit, heavy blows of wind caused ice from the top to collapse and fall over them.
Khim Lal Gautam, an official at the Everest base camp told the Telegraph: “A cornice broke off and washed down a few climbers including Daniel and his guide towards the Tibet side.”
The collapse is said to have happened at Hillary Step – a steep, nearly vertical rock that sits just beneath the summit.
The expedition team has sent six rescuers to find the missing men amid fears that no one could survive more than a day in the high-altitude area, also dubbed “Death Zone”.
A fellow sherpa confirmed Daniel and his guide reached the top of the mountain, but added the two men had gone missing.
He said: “Eyewitnesses reported the incident took place between Summit Ridge and South Summit and some climbers were swept away in Kangshung Face.
“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.”
Daniel’s partner yesterday said she had not heard back from him – and was waiting for any updates on him with the family.
The fitness enthusiast, who planned to dedicate his feat to a late friend, said it had always been his dream to “conquer” the coveted summit.
“My dream will always be to conquer this,” the climber wrote last year during a training mission to the Himalayas.
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