Kenyan Climber Dies Near Everest Summit, Guide Still Missing

A Kenyan climber died near the summit of Mount Everest, officials said. 

The search and rescue team deployed by Seven Summit Treks found the body of Kirue Joshua Cheruiyot, 40, in the stretch between the summit and the Hilary Step, while his climbing guide Nawang Sherpa remains missing.

He was attempting to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain above sea level in his quest to test the limitations of the human body.

On May 9, 2024, Kirui reported on his Instagram page that he and his fellow hikers had successfully made rotation number two in their quest to reach Mt Everest summit.

The duo had been out of contact since late Tuesday.

Earlier, officials had said that the search and rescue team had found two bodies. Officials now say there was a miscommunication with the search team, who had earlier claimed two bodies were found.

“We have received a report that the research and rescue team have found the body of the Kenyan climber, while his guide remains missing. The search for him is going on,” said Khimlal Gautam, Chief of the Expedition Monitoring and Facilitation Field Office of the Department of Tourism at the base camp. Cheruiyot and Sherpa were part of the Seven Summit Treks.

Kirui, a banker working with the Kenya Commercial Bank, went missing with his guide Sherpa.

Officials from Seven Summit Treks (SST), a mountaineering company based in Kathmandu, Nepal, reportedly lost contact with Kirui and his guide at Bishop Rock, located at an altitude of 8,000 metres.

Everest is Earth’s highest mountain, with an elevation of 8,848.86 meters above sea level.

It is located across the China-Nepal border.

The confirmation of Cheruiyot’s death comes as officials are slowly giving up hope of finding British climber Daniel Paul Paterson, 40, and his Sherpa guide Pas Tenji Sherpa, 23, who have been missing in the death zone.

With this latest death, the total fatalities on Mount Everest have reached three, with an additional death reported on Mount Lhotse, which shares the same route.