11 Climber who die in Everest Expedition 2019

  • Hemanta Budhathoki
  • Last Updated on Apr 16, 2024

Table of Contents

Everest Expedition 2019
There were 381 peoples permit issued in 44 teams. This is the highest number ever according to the Nepal government. At least 11 people died climbing in May 2019. Many had reached the summit and were on their way down.

01 - Séamus Lawless, 39 from Ireland 
Mr. Lawless, an Irish professor who studied artificial intelligence, is presumed to have died on May 16 after falling up to 1,600 feet from the balcony area of the mountain.  Mr. Lawless texted his wife to say he had reached the summit and was headed home. He was said to be an experienced climber who had reached the summit before. His expedition leader told that Mr. Lawless was the victim of a “freak accident” after he unclipped himself from his safety ropes. He was part of an eight-member climbing expedition led by renowned Co. Down climber Noel Richard Hanna when he slipped while returning from the peak at an altitude of around 8,300 meters. He had previously summited Everest South and Lhotse.
Irish Climber

02 - Ravi Thakar, 28 from India 
An Indian climber Mr. Thakar, died on May 17 while in his sleep in his tent on the mountain’s highest campsite. Mr. Thakar successfully reached the summit but began experiencing issues during his descent. He was found dead inside a tent at Camp IV early this morning. Mr. Thakar’s body was discovered hours later.

03 - Donald Cash, 54 from United state 
Mr. Cash, of Utah, had achieved his goal of climbing the highest mountain on each of the seven continents, collectively known as the seven summits, before he collapsed on May 22. Mount Everest was the last mountain on his agenda. Mr. Cash, a former software salesman, quit his job in December to take on the final two mountains in his goal. After scaling Everest, he initially fainted at the summit, according to Pioneer Adventures, a company that organizes trips on the mountain. He collapsed again while descending near Hillary Step and could not be revived.

04 - Anjali Kulkarni, 54 from India
Ms. Kulkarni, of India, scaled the peak with her husband, Sharad Kulkarni. Ms. Kulkarni died from “energy loss” on her way back to Camp 4. A family friend, Ameet Singh, told the paper that the couple had climbed other mountains together, including Kilimanjaro.
Anjali An Indian climber

05 - Nihal Bagwan, 27 from India
Mr. Bagwan, of Solapur, India, suffered from acute dehydration and exhaustion on his way down from the summit on May 23. It was his second attempt to climb Everest after falling short five years ago. Mr. Bagwan recently received a master’s degree in physical education and planned to teach at a local institution.

06 - Kalpana Das, 50 from India
Ms. Das, of Odisha, India, scaled Everest twice but did not survive the second expedition. She became ill and died on her way down the mountain, around the balcony area, on May 23. As per the report she tried to climb the mountain in 2004 and 2006 and succeeded in 2008. The clothes she wore during her 2008 trek have been put on display at Odisha’s State Museum.

07 - Ernst Landgraf, 64 from Australia
Mr. Landgraf, an Austrian builder, also died on May 23 on his way down from the summit. Mr. Landgraf was an experienced mountain climber who was in good physical shape, Austrian media reported. His trip up Everest had been his final climb of the seven summits. “He lived for his family, his profession, and his great passion, the mountains," his family wrote in a death notice published in the newspaper Kleine Zeitung.

08 - Kevin Hynes, 56 from Ireland
The following day, Mr. Hynes, an Irishman who lived in London, died in his tent at an elevation of about 23,000 feet. He had trekked to a higher altitude a day earlier but decided to turn back. He had previously reached the summit of Everest last year. He was climbing on the Chinese side of the mountain as part of a group led by a Britain-based climbing company, the climbing company said he had been “one of the strongest and most experienced climbers on our team.”
Kenvin Everest Climber

09 - Dhruba Bista, 32 from Nepal
Mr. Bista, a Nepali climbing guide, fell while trekking down the mountain on May 24, said Mona Shahab, a Saudi climber, and friend. She said that a Sherpa administered CPR, but Mr. Bista did not respond. “He was a good guide, very careful, always clipping into lines, knew exactly what to say when I hit my wall, and had a way in keeping me going and pushing a little harder,” she said. Ms. Shahab called Mr. Bista “lighthearted, funny and skillful,” and a devoted husband and father. She noted that he and other guides often climbed to steep heights carrying heavy loads for their clients. Mona Shahab successfully summits Everest becoming the second Saudi woman to do so. 
Dhruba Bista with his friend Mona Shahab at Island Peak Summit in December.
Dhruba Bista with his clients and friend Mona Shahab at Island Peak Summit in December.

10 - Robin Haynes Fisher, 44 from the UK
Mr. Fisher, a British climber, died 45 minutes after reaching the summit on May 25. Several days earlier, he had warned of overcrowding on Mount Everest in a post on Instagram and announced plans to delay his ascent. As per his climbing/ trekking company Nepal, Mr. Fisher was 492 feet below the summit when he suddenly “fell down.” A company official said guides were not able to revive him.

11 - Christopher John Kulish, 62 from United state
Mr. Kulish, a Colorado lawyer, had returned to South Col after reaching the summit, his seventh and final climb in his seven summits journey, said Mark Kulish, his brother. Mr. Kulish said his brother was “aware, fit and in a good mood” before entering his tent in the early morning of May 27. A guide later found him and administered CPR for 25 minutes, he said. A cause of death is not yet known.
Christopher John Kulish an Everest Climber

Most of above info are from www.nytimes.com 

Hemanta Budhathoki

Hemanta Budhathoki

Hemanta Budhathoki is team leader of Nepal Highland Trekking and travel company. 

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