An Australian man climbing the world’s tallest mountain to raise money for charity has died during his descent.
Jason Kennison, 40, died while making his way down Mt Everest on Friday, his father Jock Kennison has confirmed.
The body of Mr Kennison, who is from South Australia but had been living in Perth, is yet to be recovered.
He had been in Nepal for the previous six weeks preparing for the climb, which was part of a charity trip to raise money for Spinal Cord Injuries Australia.
Jason Kennison (left) died during the descent from Mt Everest on Friday. Picture: Just Giving
Asian Trekking chief Dawa Steven Sherpa, who had been managing Mr Kennison’s climb, confirmed the Australian died after being brought to an area of Everest known as The Balcony, after he had reached the peak.
“Since the oxygen cylinders that they had with them were running out, they decided to descend to Camp 4 hoping to climb back again with oxygen cylinders to rescue him,” Dawa Steven Sherpa told AFP.
“It was high wind and bad weather that prevented them (from) going back to bring him down. He died at the Balcony area.”
Mr Kennison suffered his own spinal cord injury in a car crash when he was 23-years-old, and was told he may never walk again.
In a blog post on Just Giving, Mr Kennison said he wanted to “help people living with spinal cord injury to live their best life.”
“As a relatively fit and healthy lad at 23 at the time of my accident, with a great career and my life ahead of me, I found it hard to come to terms with things and fell into depression,” he wrote.
Mr Kennison, 40, had been raising money for Spinal Cord Injuries Australia, following his own injury in a car crash at the age of 23. Picture: Just Giving
Three years ago he also had an extended stay in hospital after a routine spinal procedure resulted in complications including spinal nerve damage.
“One leg was barely strong enough to stand, while the other leg was left with no strength, feeling paralysed,” wrote Jason.
“In 2023 I will head to Nepal, to see and be on Mount Everest, a long way from once battling traumatic injuries and the low and dark days of depression.
“An ambitious feat that I would never have dreamed of, or thought was possible after once being told that I would not be able to walk.”
Jock Kennison said he was informed of his son’s death from local authorities early Sunday morning.
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NCA NewsWire has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for comment.
Mt Everest is in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas, sitting on the border between Nepal and China.
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