59-year-old Indian mountaineer who fell sick at Everest Base Camp dies in Nepal hospital

In a heartbreaking turn of events, a determined 59-year-old Indian climber Suzanne Leopoldina Jesus lost her life on Thursday while attempting to set a new world record as Asia's first woman with a pacemaker to conquer Mount Everest. She fell ill at the base camp of the world's highest peak in Nepal and was later pronounced dead at a hospital in the town of Lukla, located in the Solukhumbu district. The Director of the Tourism Department of Nepal, Yuvaraj Khatiwada, confirmed the unfortunate news.

Suzanne, who had a pacemaker, faced difficulties during the acclimatisation exercises at the Mt Everest base camp, which led to her admission to the Lukla hospital. Khatiwada revealed that she was advised to abandon her attempt to summit Mount Everest due to her inability to maintain a normal speed during the acclimatisation exercise and her struggles with climbing.

Despite the advice, Suzanne adamantly refused to give up, insisting that she had to conquer the daunting 8,848.86-meter-high peak, as she had already paid the fee for permission to climb the mountain. Her determination to overcome the challenges was evident, but tragically, it proved to be her undoing.

Suzanne had managed to climb up to an altitude of 5,800 meters, just above the Mt Everest base camp, before her condition deteriorated. Consequently, she was forcefully airlifted to Lukla town on Wednesday evening and admitted to a hospital for treatment. Dendi Sherpa, Chairman of Glacier Himalayan Trek, the expedition organiser, confirmed that Suzanne had to be transported against her will, and a helicopter was hired for her evacuation.

Sherpa shared that they had advised Suzanne to abandon the climb five days prior, but her unwavering commitment to reaching the summit led her to press on. During the acclimatisation process, it became apparent that Suzanne lacked the necessary qualifications to continue ascending the mountain.

In a letter to the Department of Tourism, Sherpa emphasised that Suzanne was not physically prepared for the challenging ascent. He noted that it took her over five hours to reach Crompton Point, a mere 250 meters beyond the base camp, whereas most climbers complete the distance in 15 to 20 minutes. On subsequent attempts, she took six hours and, finally, a staggering 12 hours to reach the same point.

Sherpa also revealed that Suzanne was battling difficulties in her throat, making it challenging for her to swallow food. Despite these obstacles, her unwavering ambition was to set a new world record as the first Asian woman with a pacemaker to summit Everest.

On Thursday afternoon, Suzanne's body was transported to Kathmandu and taken to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in the Maharajgunj municipality for a postmortem examination. Family members were notified, and their arrival in Kathmandu was expected by Friday evening.

In another tragic incident on the same day, a Chinese climber also lost their lives while ascending Mount Everest, bringing the death toll for this season to eight. Among the deceased were four Sherpa climbers, an American doctor, and a Moldovan climber who had all tragically perished on their Everest expeditions.