At least 11 climbers have died this season on Mount Everest and two, including Shrinivas Sainis Dattatraya, are missing. Dattatraya, an Indian-origin Singaporean climber, went missing on Saturday and a search and rescue operation is currently underway. Teams of three Sherpas are searching for him. Dattatraya, a senior manager for software engineering at JLL Technologies, was last seen on Friday when he sent a text message to his wife from the summit of Everest. He told her he had high-altitude cerebral oedema and was not likely to make it back down.
Seven Summit Treks organised Dattatraya’s Everest ascent and the owner of Nepal Guide Treks and Expedition shared photographs of the climber reaching the summit before he went missing. In the photos, Dattatraya is seen wearing a bright orange winter wear, sunglasses and an oxygen mask, standing upright on the peak. One of the Sherpas who accompanied him, Dendi, tried to save him but suffered frostbite to his fingers and is now hospitalised.
Sim Phei Sunn, who reached the summit in May 2019, said within the mountaineering community they have noticed more inexperienced climbers on Everest which might have contributed to the higher death toll. Established companies usually screen climbers before planning an expedition but in recent years, more low-cost operators have entered the market. Sunn recommends hopefuls to spend a few years training before attempting Everest.
