The body of Kenyan climber Joshua Cheruiyot Kirui, who died on Mt. Everest last week, will remain on the mountain, his family announced. Kirui, 40, was attempting to climb Everest without supplementary oxygen.
He fell into a crevasse 48 meters below the 8,849-meter peak with his Nepali guide, Nawang Sherpa, who is still missing. The family said retrieving Kirui’s body from such a high altitude would be too risky for the rescue team.
Climbing Everest is extremely difficult and dangerous, even for experienced climbers. Kirui aimed to be the first African to reach the summit without extra oxygen.
In a statement, Kirui’s family said they had made the “difficult” decision to let his remains stay on the mountain after careful consideration. They did not want to endanger rescuers’ lives.
