Youngest People To Die On Mount Everest
We listed 8 Youngest Souls Lost on the Treacherous Slopes of Deadly Mount Everest
Mount Everest is one of the deadliest mountains in the world. It is the tallest mountain at the highest altitude. Hence, it has not always been an easy job for just anyone to go to the mountain and not face any hardship. There have been times when even the most experienced mountaineers have died on Mount Everest.
Similarly, Everest has been fatal to a lot of young people. It is not always the mountaineering skills that decide whether a person is successful in climbing the peak or not; there are times when the ruthless nature of the mountain, including its everchanging weather conditions, avalanches, ice falls, etc., kills people. Bodies were left in Everest a few years ago. However, there are people who have been retrieved from the mountain after their death there.
In this article, we talk about some of the youngest people who have died on Mount Everest. Make sure to read till the end of this article to know more!
Rahul Panchal (April 25, 2015)
Rahul Panchal is the youngest person to die on Mount Everest. Panchal was only 19 years old when he climbed the mountain and died there. Panchal was making his way to the mountain in hopes of being one of the youngest people to do so. Sadly, the climb was not even as slightly as forgiving as his team was hoping it to be.
The teenager and his team were in the mountains on April 25, 2015, when a massive earthquake struck Nepal. Like any other place in Nepal, Mount Everest was not an exception to go through a major downfall. Though the mountain is inevitable, the icefalls at the peak were not. The earthquake led to a huge avalanche that killed everyone who was climbing the mountain at that time, including Rahul. The young teenager hence became the youngest not just in his team but in the history of mountaineers on Everest to die there.
Ang Chuldim Sherpa (August 31, 1982)
Ang Chuldim Sherpa is another youngest mountaineer who lost his life during the 1982 earthquake. The earthquake was damaging, and it struck Nepal majorly, causing severe effects everywhere. Mount Everest, as it is, is not the safest place in the world, and the earthquake only worsened the situation for the mountaineers who were looking to summit the mountain. Chuldim was the youngest among the people there. Those with him, Dawa Dorje Sherpa and Pasang Sona Sherpa, also passed away in the incident.
The reason for their death was the unavoidable avalanche that swept all three of them away. Canadian cameraman Blair Griffiths died during the same expedition on September 2 after a fall in the serac. Ang Chuldim was only 20 years old when he died.
Lobsang Sherpa (May 7, 2013)
Lobsang Sherpa was a Sherpa guide who was back from his summit after guiding a bunch of people to Mount Everest. The journey back to the mountain was not easy for the young man, who was only 22 at the time of his death. He was on his way back to his team when he fell from the mountain to his death.
Though a professional climber and a guide for a commercial climb at the time, Sherpa could not make it alive from the mountain. Mingma Sherpa from Seven Summit Treks during the time of Lobsang’s death said, “He was returning from the height of 8,000 meters after hauling the tents for an 11-member Chinese expedition team,”. Thankfully, the young Sherpa’s body was taken to Kathmandu soon after. Two more Sherpas died during the same expedition.
Víctor Hugo Trujillo (August 16, 1986)
In 1986, a mountain expedition team was going to summit Mount Everest from the North Col. The mountaineers were all set to finally come close to the peak of Everest when 22-year-old Victor Hugo Trujillo was hit by a snowslide. The snowslide pushed the young mountaineer to a crevasse. Despite several attempts of trying to get back to his feet, Trujillo only managed to welcome an avalanche due to his extensive efforts to get out of the crevasse. Trujillo’s team was lucky enough not to face his fate. However, they could not take the climb any further and decided to stop and return their climb as they were emotionally not willing to continue after what had happened to the 22-year-old.
Michael Matthews (May 13, 1999)
Michael Matthews was only 22 years old when he successfully climbed Mount Everest’s summit. Sadly, his life was cut short during his return from the peak. What happened to Matthews is still a mystery.
Among the Britons, he is the youngest to have ever summited Mount Everest. Though he set a record for himself by climbing the mountain, his disappearance was justified as his death. What happened to the 22-year-old is not known to this day. Despite several assumptions about his death and the constant willingness of other mountaineers to find him, it can only be concluded that despite his successful climb, he perished during his return.
Film on Michael Matthews
An executive-produced film by Bear Grylls called “Finding Michael” is based on the summit and disappearance of Michael Matthews. The journey of Spencer Matthews is shown in the movie, where he tries to find his brother Michael even 23 years after his disappearance from the highest mountain in the world. There have been several attempts to find Michael both in real and in the film, from vast searches of drones throughout the mountain to identifying several other bodies, none of them being Michael, Spencer, and a search team had done it all.
Plus, there were attempts to fetch through and above the Death zone, above the height of 8000m at least twice. And, it was to no avail. Spencer never found his brother Michael despite all the tries. In 2023, however, there was a picture of a mountaineer that Spencer thought could be his lost brother.
Andrew Irvine (June 9, 1924)
Andrew Irvine was a young mountaineer who was only 22 at the time of his disappearance. He was a part of the 1924 British Everest expedition. This expedition was the third one to the world’s highest mountain. The early 1900s were also the times when the British people were getting more and more inclined towards Mount climbing activities to the highest peak in Nepal.
The young mountaineer was accompanied by legendary mountaineer George Mallory. Irvine was chosen as the most appropriate one for the expedition despite his age and experience. George Mallory, too, perished in Mount Everest during the same climb. Though his body was found much later after his death, his camera and other stuff were never found. A picture of George’s family was buried at the place where he fell to his death.
As for the body of Andrew Irvine, it was never found. Irvine was last spotted with Mallory during their climb. Throughout the years, there have been several attempts to find the body of the 22-year-old, but there has been no evidence of his body in the mountain. Though it is not a topic of doubt that the mountain climber died during this expedition, and despite several assumptions about what may have happened to him, there is no fixed conclusion as to what really happened to Andrew and where his body fell.
To a lot of people, he may have fallen into an inescapable part of the mountain and never found his way back, and to a lot of others, there are just as many assumptions. Due to the lack of technology during that time, the disappearance and death of Andrew Irvine still remain a mystery.
Marco Siffredi (September 8, 2002)
Marco Siffredi was only 23 years old when he passed away in Mount Everest. The French snowboarder and mountaineer had a lot achieved at a very young age. He was attempting to attempt to snowboard the Hornbein Couloir when he disappeared. Though there was no evidence as to what happened to him, it was either an injury or an instant death that was the reason for his disappearance. The snowboarder was as daring as he was, and he had been very accomplished and experienced even at a young age.
The descent that he died on was not his first but his second one. The first try was from the Norton Couloir. Likewise, the second attempt was made on the Hornbein Couloir, which was also his last. One of the main reasons for his disappearance is said to be the bad weather conditions of the mountain at the time. The Sherpas who were with him were not in the minds to let the young snowboarder attempt snowboarding. Eventually, they lost sight of him and never saw him again. Though Sherpas said that he kept saying that he was tired after the summit, he was too enthusiastic to convince him not to go further with his goal. To this day, Marco’s body has not been found.
Himanshu Kapoor (April 25, 2015)
Himanshu Kapoor was 29 years old during his Mount Everest expedition. The young mountain climber and his team were on their way to make the most legendary expedition in 2015 and did not see the unfortunate and massive earthquake come their way. The earthquake of April 25, 2015, in Nepal, did not leave people alive in the mountains as the shaking was extreme, and there were several dangerous and inescapable avalanches at the peak. Kapoor perished in the mountain with many other mountaineers that day.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the deadliest year on Everest?
The deadliest year on Everest is 2023.
What are the most tragic deaths on Mount Everest?
The earthquake of 2015 left around 19-24 people dead on the mountain, including some of the youngest people who died there.
How many bodies are on Everest?
There are 200 dead bodies on Everest.
What are the most deaths on Everest in one day?
Deaths on Everest usually depend on the weather conditions of the mountain and the number of people expediting in extreme situations.
Is Everest safer now?
According to Everest chronicler Alan Arnette, “Statistically, Everest is becoming safer primarily due to better gear, weather forecasting, and more people climbing with commercial operations,.”
How many Sherpas died on Everest?
Around 125 Sherpas have died on Everest.
What kills on Mount Everest?
Injuries and exhaustion are almost always the reason for death on Mount Everest. At the same time, many die due to avalanches and ice falls.
What is the age limit for Everest?
People aged 18-60 are allowed to climb the Mount Everest.
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