Climber left to die after going blind on Mt. Everest

By Hum
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Grand Master

Hum

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MOUNT EVEREST ? A climbing team was forced to leave a British man to die on Mount Everest after he went blind at the summit last week.

According to the British newspaper The Independent, Peter Kinloch, 28, suddenly went blind after just a few minutes on the roof of the world at 29,035 feet.

Kinloch's guides noticed that he seemed to lose coordination as the team was coming down the mountain. About an hour later, he reportedly admitted he could not see anything.

It took about four hours for the team leader and a Sherpa to help Kinloch descend just 1,000 feet. Eight hours and two sherpas later, the team realized that they were all in danger if they continued at the same pace. They were forced to abandon Kinloch to die in the cold.

The Independent reports Kinloch's body may never be recovered. He is the 30th person to die on the mountain in the past five years.

Retinal hemorrhages reportedly are a common complaint of mountain climbers.

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Grand Master

spacer

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What a sad and scary way to die. Mountain climbing is dangerous, I think everyone knows that. And if you're going to do it, you obviously have to be ok with putting yourself in such danger. But to have your eyes unexpectedly stop working isn't something you can anticipate.

I hope this guy didn't suffer very long. :/

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selphj

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A few weeks ago I heard a guy in person that had been up there. They know full well what they are getting into when they go. You walk past a number of dead bodies before you make it to the top, because no body is ever recovered and they stay frozen forever.

Mentor

|Rapture|

Posted
Posted

There is a short follow-up to this story on the Gawker... Must have been horrible when he realised he wasn't going to make it down and having to admit he'd gone blind.

http://gawker.com/5815087/everest-climber-discovers-missing-friend-preserved-in-ice

Grand Master

Hum

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It's more than a moment of "nice view", it's a challenge. It's not like every damn climber who died there was blind... Get your facts straight

I can think of a lot of 'challenges' that don't involve death and disability.

I don't believe in taking stupid changes with your life.

You eat your cake -- I'll eat mine.

Veteran

Twiddle

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It isn't uncommon for a mountaineer to prematurely dig their own grave and leave markers. A lot of them know whether or not another will make it or not. Many dangers on a mountain, hope for the best, plan for the worst, though.

Reminds me of this music video. (Near the end)

Grand Master

neufuse Veteran

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you should watch some documentaries on Discovery and National Geographic, maybe then you will understand.

I've seen a bunch of documentaries about climbing Everest, and I still don't understand why people do it.. sure it's a thrill, but when you know you can die there pretty easily, just seems odd

Grand Master

webeagle12

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I can think of a lot of 'challenges' that don't involve death and disability.

I don't believe in taking stupid changes with your life.

You eat your cake -- I'll eat mine.

But you can't call people fools because they decided to take and acept a channle for themsefls.

You could eat your cake at home, roof falls and you die, **** happens!!! I feel very bad for a guy especially I love taking along hikes in mountains myself.

Grand Master

DirtyLarry Veteran

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I wonder if he attempted to make it down still after they left him. I have to believe if I was in a similar situation, knowing I was incredibly likely to die anyway, I would ask one of them for a cell phone, get on my hands and knees, and "crawl" down so to speak. I know I am obviously over simplifying it, but my point is I think a will to live kicks in with most people, so I really do wonder what his last moments were. Just peacefully sitting there accepting the inevitable, or giving getting down on his own a try.

Mentor

|Rapture|

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It's not really a case of just sitting down and accepting your fate, they tried to get him down the mountain for a good 12 hours after he told them he'd gone blind, his symptoms would probably have got worse as time passed.

He might not even have been conscious when they finally left him. Hypothermia and altitude sickness can have some bizarre effects.

Grand Master

bjoswald

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I would have brought a pistol just in case of something like this happening to me. Can you imagine how scary it would be to be alone, freezing and abandoned on a mountain top? I think this is one of the few situations where suicide is a viable solution. I'd rather shoot myself or leap off the cliff rather than freeze to death!

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