Everest men believed dead

Press, 31 December 1982, Page 6

Everest men believed dead

NZPA-Reuter Katmandu Two Japanese climbers lost on Mount Everest were believed by their team-mates to be dead, said the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism yesterday.

A Ministry official quoted the deputy expedition leader. Yoshimasa Sasaki, as saying of Yasuo Kato and Tosh’iaki Kobayashi: "They are no more."

The last radio contact with the two climbers was after Kato, aged 33. reported his climb of Mount Everest on Monday to become the first climber to accomplish the feat in winter. The official did not say whether the five remaining members of the expedition had decided to abandon the search for the twg climbers.

Heavy snow oh the world’s highest mountain prevented attempts to look for them on Wednesday. Kobayashi, aged 35. who was last reported suffering from frostbite in the fingers and toes, failed in his attempt to climb the peak. Kato, the expedition’s leader, created a record by going to the top in three different seasons.

A Nepalese Sherpa on Tuesday climbed to 8000 metres but failed to find the two men.

Hopes of their being still alive are faint because of sub-zero temperatures and fierce winds. Officials said the two were hardly equipped to survive on the higher reaches of Mount Everest for the last three days.