Calay News
An Australian mountaineer lost his life on Mount Everest, as announced by his expedition on Sunday, bringing the number of fatalities in the current climbing season of the world’s highest peak to ten. Dawa Steven, a sherpa from Asian Trekking, informed AFP that 40-year-old Jason Bernard Kennison passed away on Friday after feeling unwell.
After reaching the summit, the climber became unconscious and was taken to an area known as the Balcony, slightly below the top of Mount Everest. According to this source, as the oxygen bottles were running out, they decided to descend to Camp 4 with the intention of returning with more bottles to rescue him. However, strong winds and poor weather conditions prevented them from going back up to bring him down. Kennison passed away in the balcony area.
Kennison becomes the sixth non-Nepalese victim of the season on Everest, in addition to the four deceased sherpas. During the spring season, which marks the beginning of the climbing season on Everest, an average of five climbers die each year, although in 2019 that number rose to eleven due to overcrowding on the mountain.
According to Australian media, Kennison suffered a serious car accident in 2006 and spent several years recovering before being able to walk normally again.
