Climber Famous for Daring Rescues Dies on Pakistan’s Tallest Mountain

A Pakistani climber, renowned for his high-altitude rescue missions, has died during his descent from one of the tallest peaks in the country. Murad Sadpara, aged 35, suffered fatal injuries when a rock struck him while he was descending Broad Peak, which stands at 8,047 meters (26,400 feet) in the Karakoram Range.

Karrar Haidri, the secretary of the Pakistan Alpine Club, reported that Sadpara was on an expedition with a Portuguese climber. They had set out to summit the mountain last week but had to turn back due to deteriorating conditions and Sadpara’s partner falling ill. Tragically, while the team was on their way back to the base camp, the rock incident occurred, leading to Sadpara’s death.

Rescue efforts were swiftly initiated, with a team dispatched to reach him. Unfortunately, he did not survive long enough to receive medical attention. Haidri indicated that Sadpara’s body is currently being retrieved from the mountain.

“His death serves as a stark reminder of the extreme risks associated with high-altitude climbing, where the boundary between life and death is often perilously thin,” Haidri remarked.

Details about the Portuguese climber involved in the expedition were minimal, but Haidri confirmed that she is safe. Sadpara was celebrated in the mountaineering community for scaling numerous peaks, including K2, the second-highest mountain in the world, located in northern Pakistan. The Pakistan Alpine Club recognized him as “a true legend” in the field.

A little over a week prior to his tragic accident, Sadpara and four teammates accomplished a remarkable feat by recovering the body of Muhammad Hassan Shigri from an elevation of 8,200 meters on K2. This mission was noted as groundbreaking, being the first of its kind on that specific mountain.

“He played a crucial role in the recovery of Hassan Shigri’s body, demonstrating extraordinary bravery and commitment,” the Pakistan Alpine Club stated on social media. “Let us all keep Murad in our thoughts and prayers during this challenging time.”

In the year preceding his death, Sadpara was part of a team that also successfully retrieved the body of an Afghan climber from K2’s Camp 3. This marked another historic first, being the initial recovery of a body from that particular location on the mountain.

This summer climbing season has proved to be perilous, as five foreign climbers have lost their lives in separate incidents across various peaks in Pakistan. The situation echoes a recent incident in Italy’s Julian Alps, where two Austrian mountaineers also died while attempting to reach an 8,200-foot summit. Their bodies were discovered suspended from climbing ropes at an altitude of approximately 2,000 meters.

Murad Sadpara’s contributions to high-altitude rescues and his legacy in the mountaineering community will surely be remembered. His bravery and commitment to climbing and rescue missions inspire both current and future generations of climbers.

Source: AFP