This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
Rescuers in Nepal are searching for a famed U.S. ski climber
Hilaree Nelson of Telluride, Colorado, left and James Morrison of Tahoe, California, raise their fists as the pair arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 2018. Rescuers in a helicopter were searching on the world's eighth-highest mountain Tuesday for Nelson, the famed U.S. ski mountaineer, a day after her trip organizer said she fell off the mountain near the peak.
(
Niranjan Shrestha
/
AP
)
KATHMANDU, Nepal — Nepalese rescuers in a helicopter were searching Tuesday for a famed U.S. ski climber a day after she fell off near the peak of the world's eighth-highest mountain.
Also Monday, an avalanche at a lower elevation on Mount Manaslu swept several climbers, killing a Nepali guide and injuring others.
Hilaree Nelson, 49, was skiing down from the 8,163-meter (26,775-foot) summit with her partner Jim Morrison when she fell off the mountain, according to Jiban Ghimire of the Kathmandu-based Shangri-La Nepal Trek that organized and outfitted the expedition.
Bad weather hampered rescue efforts Monday. But visibility was good in improved weather conditions Tuesday while a helicopter was hovering over the mountain for signs of the missing climber, Ghimire said.
Hundreds of climbers and their local guides were attempting to reach the summit during Nepal's autumn climbing season.
All of the climbers caught in the avalanche Monday were accounted for. Some of the injured were flown to Kathmandu and were being treated in hospitals.
One of those injured, Phurte Sherpa, said there were about 13-14 people who were swept by the avalanche.
Sponsored message
"One of our friends died in the avalanche and there has been efforts to retrieve the body but the rescue helicopter has not been able to do so yet," Sherpa said. "Others injured ones have broken hands and feet."
Sherpa and his brother were flown by a rescue helicopter to HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu on Tuesday.
He said they were on their way to Camp Four to drop oxygen cylinders when the avalanche pushed them down to Camp Three.
Nelson, from Telluride, Colorado, and Morrison, from Tahoe, California, are extreme skiers who summited Mount Lhotse, the world's fourth-highest, in 2018.
"I am not sure about the whereabouts of the missing climber but her husband (partner) was with us during the search (today). We made two helicopter rescue attempts to find her but were unable," Sherpa said.
Nepal's government has issued permits to 504 climbers to attempt to scale high mountain peaks during the autumn season. Most of them are on Mount Manaslu.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004))
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
