Hong Kong man dies climbing on Mount Everest
Christopher Lam reportedly fell ill when the group he was with reached Everest Base Camp, about 5,000 metres above sea level
A Hongkonger has died of altitude sickness trying to climb around Mount Everest, it was confirmed on Tuesday.
Christopher Lam Koon-wah, an IT technician at Polytechnic University’s Pao Yue-kong Library, arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal, with a group of about 10 people including his wife, also from Hong Kong, on May 6. The next day, they reached Lukla in eastern Nepal, a town that is the starting point for most climbers taking their route, the Everest Base Camp Trek.
Lam, who was in his 40s, reportedly fell ill on Sunday when the group neared Everest Base Camp, at about 5,000 metres above sea level.
His condition worsened and his teammates’ attempts to treat him failed. He was said to have died of high-altitude cerebral oedema.
The group had planned to climb to Kalapather, at 5,550 metres the highest point and final goal of their excursion, on May 14. They planned to return to Hong Kong May 20.
The group, which was organised by the Hong Kong-based International Outdoor Training Centre, told media they were handling the transport of Lam’s body.