4 Die on Mount Everest after Summiting

4 Die on Mount Everest after Summiting

By Alexa Morales

Word Count: 335

After summiting the tallest mountain in the world, an 8,848 meter summit, four people died. Their deaths were tragic and very saddening. They died coming down from the south slope of the mountain the weekend after they all summited. The victims were just recently identified. One of them is Ebehard Schaaf, 61 years old and was a German medical doctor. Another one of the bodies is Sryia Shah, 33 years old and was a Nepali-born Canadian woman. The third one is identified as Song Wondin, a 44 year old male from South Korea. The last body is of Wen Ryi Ha, a 55 year old male from China.
           Recent climbers climbing down from the top of the mountain said that they saw the body of the Korean. Earlier, the Korean was reported missing on the mountain. There were also of a Nepali missing as well, but those reports were not verified. The Germans death was a very tragic and painful one. He was diagnosed and passed away from high-altitude cerebral edema. Mountaineers often expand all their energy while ascending the mountain and do not think about the energy that they need to climb down the mountain. As a result, they become weaker and suffer from altitude sickness. Saturday was also windier than the usual weather on Everest. Mountaineers climbing Everest just started summiting the mountain from the south side this spring season only since Saturday. That’s about ten days later than usual and it was due to very bad and dangerous weather to climb in. With these four deaths, the number of people killed on Everest has reached six just this year alone. Two Nepali Sherpa’s died on the mountain earlier this month.
           “This is very tragic and also a very sad loss to their families” states Melanie Harrell, a 7th grade student at Stoller Middle School.
           “Hearing about this makes me very sad, especially because it wasn’t their fault that they passed away” said Courtney Gardner, a 7th grade student at Stoller Middle School.

Mount Everest. The beautiful but dangerous mountain.