Canadian professor, 63, died while pursuing dream of climbing Mount Everest

A 63-year-old Vancouver physician died on Thursday pursuing his life-long dream of climbing the very best mountain on the planet.

UBC professor and anesthesiologist Pieter Swart, died whereas descending under Camp 4, the ultimate camp, earlier than the summit on mount Everest, after an “undefined respiratory occasion,” in accordance with an announcement by College of British Columbia.

It was Swart’s life-long dream to summit the very best mountain on the planet, in accordance with his household and mates.

“I’ve identified him all my life. It has at all times been his dream to climb Everest,” his spouse Suretha Swart instructed the Star in an interview. The couple have been born and raised in South Africa, however have been residing in Canada for a few years.

Swart was a father of two and was described as a beneficiant, heat, a caring doctor, a frontrunner, robust educator and a loving household man, by those that knew him.

“Pieter had an insatiable wanderlust. He was misplaced to us whereas bravely pursuing his dream of being on high of the world, since he was 9,” mentioned Hamed Umedaly, the pinnacle of the division of anesthesiology on the college.

The college mentioned in an announcement {that a} memorial occasion for Swart will likely be held together with his household.

On his final Instagram put up on Might 16, during which he’s climbing on the Khumbu icefall – positioned on the south facet of Mount Everest — Swart wrote, “Excellent day.”

Swart was climbing with Madison Mountaineering, a mountain information service specializing in main expeditions to climb Everest, in accordance with their web site. The corporate didn’t reply to the Star’s request for a remark.

Mount Everest is a peak within the Himalaya mountain vary positioned between Nepal and Tibet, and it’s the highest peak on Earth 8,849 meters above sea-level.

Based on a current information report by Bloomberg, the common age of Everest climbers is now 42, in comparison with 34 in 1982, which contributes to a rise in fatalities.

To summit Mount Everest has been a preferred, though harmful, expedition amongst mountain climbers for the reason that Fifties. One of many greatest risks is the altitude, in accordance with Nationwide Geographic, as most climbers should not accustomed to the excessive altitude and low oxygen ranges and depend on bottled oxygen. The world above 8,000 meters (26,000 ft) elevation on Mount Everest is named the “demise zone.”

Irem Koca is an Ottawa-based normal project reporter for the Star. Observe her on Twitter: @iremreports

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