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By Citizen Reporter

Journalist


Saray Khumalo’s teammate slips, goes missing in Everest descent

Seamus Lawless, 39, who was part of an eight-member team, reportedly slipped on the balcony area of the mountain.


An Irish professor who was part of the team that summitted Mount Everest with South African Saray Khumalo on Thursday morning has gone missing after slipping on the way down.

Seamus Lawless, 39, who was part of an eight-member team expedition reportedly slipped on the balcony area of the mountain during descent on Thursday after reaching the top.

Search-and-rescue teams went looking for Lawless.

Khumalo has been praised for her dedication after failing the climb four times before. She had to be rescued from Mount Everest by helicopter during her previous attempt to summit in 2017 after she was injured during inclement weather.

After being on Everest during both the Serac fall in 2014 and the earthquake in 2015, she reached the south summit in 2017.

She decided to return to Mount Everest this year, and was finally successful.

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