Singaporean climber Shrinivas Sainis Dattatraya at the Mount Everest summit on May 19. He went missing soon after. - PHOTOS: PRAKASH CHANDRA DEVKOTA, CHANGE.ORG
SINGAPORE, May 23 (The Straits Times/ANN): A search and rescue operation involving several teams is under way for a missing Singaporean climber who had reached Mount Everest’s summit, said a Nepal-based expedition organiser.
Shrinivas Sainis Dattatraya’s family members have also gone to Nepal to meet the rescue teams, added Prakash Chandra Devkota, the owner of Nepal Guide Treks and Expedition.
His company and Seven Summit Treks, a Nepal-based adventure travel operator, organised Shrinivas’ Everest ascent.
Devkota told The Straits Times on Monday that teams consisting of three Sherpas each have been searching for the 39-year-old.
He also shared photos of the climber reaching the summit last Friday before he went missing.
In the photos, Shrinivas, a senior manager for software engineering at real estate tech firm JLL Technologies, is wearing bright orange winter wear, sunglasses and an oxygen mask, surrounded by colourful prayer flags marking the 8,849m summit.
He is clutching a rope with his right hand, and stands upright on the peak.
In another picture, Shrinivas lies on his back, surrounded by three others in similar mountain climbing wear. One of them snaps a shot of him with a smartphone.
ST had reported last week that, using his satellite phone, Mr Shrinivas last sent a text message to his wife Sushma Soma, 36, on Friday, saying he had reached Everest’s summit.
But he told her he had high-altitude cerebral edema, a severe type of high-altitude illness that could prove fatal, and was not likely to make it back down.
Nepal Guide Treks and Expedition owner Prakash Chandra Devkota shared photos of Shrinivas Sainis Dattatraya (right) surrounded by three other people. - PHOTO: PRAKASH CHANDRA DEVKOTA
Madam Soma, a musician, learnt at 2am on Saturday that the two Sherpas he was with, and another climber in the group, had made it down from the mountain, but her husband never did.
In a 90-second video, seen by ST, the other climber described how they came down the mountain.
The man in a black T-shirt, whom the speaker off-camera referred to as “Martin”, said the group reached the summit at around 9am.
The man said he was alone, while Mr Shrivinas was with the two Sherpas.
He said he had run down to wait at Camp Four, the final camp before mountaineers reach the summit. The video does not reveal more information.
Devkota said one of the Sherpas, Mr Dendi, had tried to save Shrinivas, but he did not give more details.
He said Dendi had suffered frostbite to his fingers and was hospitalised.
Devkota said his company hired the Sherpas for this expedition, while Seven Summit Treks handled the logistics. The latter did not respond to ST’s requests for comment.
Devkota said Shrivinas was his good friend and had joined them on previous climbs, including a 2021 expedition to the 8,163m Manaslu peak in Nepal, but “this time is so bad”. He did not elaborate further when asked what had happened.
In an Instagram story on Monday, Madam Soma said the search and rescue mission was ongoing, adding: “Thank you all for all your (messages). We are grateful for your love and concern.”
At least 11 climbers have died so far on Mount Everest in this climbing season, and at least two, including Shrivinas and a Malaysian, are missing. - The Straits Times/ANN
