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American Climber Reported Dead On North Side of Everest
Sunday, May 24, 1998 — North Side Base Camp, Rongbuk Glacier, Tibet

Russian climbers in base camp on the northern (Tibetan) side of Everest report that an American has died on the Northeast Ridge route. The Mountain Zone is waiting to confirm details, but initial reports suggest the climber and a partner summited two days ago (May 22, 1998 NPT) without the use of supplemental oxygen after three nights above 8000 meters. Descending, the two spent a night high on the mountain without a tent, and in the morning, the climber was missing.

The partner continued to descend and reported the missing climber to an Uzbekistan team (Oleg Grigoriev, Andrei Fedorov, Sergei Sokolov, Svetlana Baskakova and Marat Usaev) attempting their summit bid yesterday. The team later found the climber alive but unresponsive above the First Step on the Northeast Ridge. While the other three went on to the summit, Grigoriev and Fedorov stayed with the climber and attempted to offer oxygen and medical assistance guided over radio by doctors in base camp. Aided by Sherpas and climbers from a South American team, they lowered the victim over 100 meters, but the climber is reported to have died around 11am yesterday, May 23, 1998 NPT.

Hearing about the death, the partner is reported to have started back up the route and has not been seen since though his ice ax and rope are believed to have been found.

The Mountain Zone will report more as soon as confirmed information is available.

— Anya Zolotusky, Mountain Zone Staff
Information based on Anatoli Shabanov's report from Everest north side base camp on May 24, 1998. The Mountain Zone thanks the editors of RISK.RU for sharing access to news from their climbers.

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