May 18, 2023: Indian woman climber who had fallen ill at the Mt Everest base camp passed away. Suzanne Leopoldina Jesus, a 59-year-old climber from Mumbai, Maharashtra, had been unwell for over six days while at the base camp. Despite her condition, she adamantly refused to leave, determined to climb Mt Everest at any cost.
Expedition Organizer revealed that Suzanne was airlifted from the base camp to Lukla the previous evening. However, her health continued to deteriorate, and she ultimately breathed her last while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Lukla at around 5:13 am.
During a meeting involving government liaison officers, police personnel, and the handling agency, it was decided that Suzanne needed to be taken to Lukla for further medical attention. She had previously reported that she was climbing with a pacemaker but was unable to ascend beyond the base camp. Sherpa recalled that it had taken her more than six hours to reach the Crompton point.
In May 2022, Suzanne successfully completed trekking to Everest Base Camp. Her goal in attempting Mt Everest was to become the first person in Asia with a pacemaker to reach the summit and the oldest Indian to attempt the feat. She worked as a teacher in a Government Primary School and had been promoted to Head in one of the largest schools in Silvassa.
The Indian embassy in Kathmandu and the Department of Tourism has been informed about the incident, and efforts are currently underway to airlift Suzanne’s body to Kathmandu. This season, Mt Everest has sadly witnessed a total of seven deaths, including four Sherpa climbers, an American doctor, and a Moldovan climber. These tragedies have occurred in the past few weeks as numerous climbers embarked on their summit pushes.
