Japanese climber Nobukazu Kuriki, 36, lost his life Monday on Mount Everest, raising this month’s death toll on the mountain to three.
This was Kuriki’s eighth attempt to conquer the peak of on the world’s highest mountain. The alpinist and motivational speaker lost nine fingers to frostbite on a prior attempt.
Everest also claimed the lives of Lam Babu Sherpa who went missing and was presumed dead in early May, and Macedonian climber Gjeorgi Petkov, 63, who likely died of cardiac arrest over the weekend.
Rescuers recovered Kuriki’s body from 7,200 meters (23,600 feet), guide Ashish Gurung said, according to The Himalaya Times.
In his latest attempt, Kuriki sought to climb solo and without the aid of supplemental oxygen, the Times reported. He headed to Everest with a film crew and four high altitude workers.
Sometime during the climb he asked his guides, who were at Camp II, for assistance, reporting that he was suffering from pain and heavy coughing. He was reportedly at Camp III when his radio call went out.
“It was impossible to locate him in the night as the radio network disconnected,” Gurung said, The Himalaya Times reported.
It was unclear exactly how Kuriki died. The Himalaya Times reported the team found Kuriki's body Monday morning just above Camp II; The New York Times reported Kuriki slipped and fell.
The Japan Times confirmed it was unlikely Kuriki made it to the summit in his final push.
“We have carried down Kuriki’s body to base camp and are waiting for officials’ clearance to send the body by helicopter to Kathmandu,” a team member wrote in the climber’s blog, according to The Japan Times.
Kuriki successfully conquered the highest peaks of six continents, but each attempt at Everest ended in defeat.
“We are in shock,” said Tika Ram Gurung, the managing director of Bochi-Bochi Trek, the company that organized Kuriki’s trip, according to The New York Times. “It is a huge loss to the mountaineering world.”
He also was mourned on social media.
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