A British climber and his guide who went missing on Everest after being hit by collapsing ice have not been found despite an extensive search, a guide has revealed.
Daniel Paul Paterson, 40, and Pastenji Sherpa, 23, have not been heard from since they reached the summit at around 4.40am local time on Tuesday.
The pair are now feared dead after the ice collapsed and fell on them near the Hillary Step, just below the summit at around 8,800 metres, according to Lapka Sherpa.
The Everest guide said they had “heroically” reached the summit of the world’s highest peak before getting lost while descending.
“Despite exhaustive search efforts, we regret to confirm that Daniel and Pastenji could not be recovered from the following incident,” he wrote on Facebook.
Paterson’s partner Beck Woodhead has vowed she will “do everything she can” to bring him home, and yesterday created a GoFundMe page to raise money for a search and rescue operation.
Daniel Paterson previously said his dream had always been to “conquer” the summit of Everest. In the photo on the right: Pas Tenji Sherpa, 23 years old.
Paterson with his partner Beck Woodhead, who has created a GoFundMe page to raise money for a search and rescue operation.
The research nurse said that her partner ‘“He is known for his adventurous spirit, his kindness, and his unwavering dedication to helping others,” while issuing a plea saying, “Now it’s our turn to help you.”
She described him as a passionate Leeds United supporter, as well as a “loving son, brother, partner, friend and proud co-owner of Wakefield Crossfit”.
The British climber, believed to be from Wakefield, was described by Sherpa Lapka as “known for his strong physical fitness, uplifting positivity and strong determination”.
The missing men were part of a 15-member team from 8K Expeditions, led by Bolivian climber David Hugo Ayaviri Quispe.
Sherpa Lapka said his colleague Pastenji was a “dedicated climber since his youth, with impressive ascents under his belt, including twice on Mount Everest, K2, Amadablam and several other 6,000m peaks.”
“His warm spirit, kindness and exceptional experience made him one of 8K Expeditions’ top guides,” he added.
Mr Paterson was also a “committed” climber and had trained in the Himalayas last year.
The missing Daniel Paul Paterson, 40, appears in the May 11 photograph before his ascent to the summit.
Paterson, known to his friends as ‘Pat’, shared his experiences on Instagram.
He previously said he was emotional when he saw the summit of Everest and told his followers: “My dream will always be to conquer this.”
She dedicated her promotion to a late friend from Wakefield Crossfield Club and recently announced that members had raised £10,000 for her family.
The fitness enthusiast posted two weeks ago to say he was “impatiently awaiting a window to the summit.”
The fitness enthusiast dedicated his climb to a deceased friend from Wakefield Crossfield Club and recently announced the group had raised £10,000 for her family.
Officials said this week that a window of calm weather in recent days has seen an influx of climbers heading to the summit, but that this would close at the end of the week.
Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 peaks over 8,000 meters (26,246 feet) and welcomes hundreds of adventurers each spring climbing season.
Everest can only be climbed in the short periods of clear weather, when the winds are calm.
As climbers can only reach the summit in small windows of time, queues can form on the mountain, substantially increasing the risk.
This has caused long queues to form on challenging sections, leaving climbers waiting in the bitter cold and depleting their precious oxygen supplies.
Earlier this month, Mongolian climbers Usukhjargal Tsedendamba, 53, and Purevsuren Lkhagvajav, 31, went missing on Everest.
The couple, who had not relied on Sherpa guides, were found dead a week later in two different locations after reaching the summit.