Australian man Francesco Enrico Marchetti, 54, has died of suspected altitude sickness while trying to reach the summit of Mount Everest on Sunday, the Nepal-based proprietor of the company organising his expedition has told the ABC.

Nabin Trital from Expedition Himalaya said Mr Marchetti fell ill at an altitude of 8,300 metres, about 500m below the 8,848m peak of the world’s tallest mountain.

“At that time, he [wanted] to return back,” Mr Trital said, citing information relayed to him by the expedition’s climbing Sherpas.

“At that time, he collapsed.”

Mr Trital said he was awaiting further information on exactly what had happened, which he hoped would become clearer when the surviving climbers from the five-person team returned to a lower camp later today.

The expedition, which Mr Trital said comprised three climbers and two guides, was ascending Everest via the less-climbed north-eastern route from Tibet.

Nepal has cleared 371 people to climb Mount Everest in the current season, which ends this month. Nearly 200 climbers went to Tibet.

Mr Trital has defended the group’s equipment and preparations, saying they had sufficient oxygen and had spent six weeks at altitude acclimatising.

“He has spent a long time there, going up to 7,000m, coming back, going up, coming back,” he said.

“They had enough oxygen, regulators were working.”

He died doing the thing that he had his whole heart set on – ‘His life goal of getting to the top of Mt Everest‘
(Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson)

Source
ABC News

See also:
Mount Everest deaths prompt fears the mountain is becoming increasingly dangerous (ABC News)