Indian-origin climber who summited Mt Everest remains untraced despite crew’s best efforts, says wife

Singapore, May 28 (ANI): An Indian-origin climber who went missing on Mount Everest last week remains untraceble “despite the best efforts” of a search and rescue team, the climber’s wife has said.

“He was 39, and in his glorious and rich life, he lived fearlessly and to the fullest. He explored the depth of the sea and scaled the greatest heights of the Earth,” Sushma Soma, a 36-year-old musician from Chennai who is based in Singapore posted on her Instagram account on Saturday.
She also posted pictures of her husband Shrinivas Sainis Dattatraya on various mountain peaks.

Dattatraya had left Singapore on April 1, aiming to summit Mount Everest and then Mount Lhotse in a single expedition. Dattatraya went missing after reaching Mount Everest in Nepal on May 19, his wife said.

“I witnessed his focus, rigour and discipline in training to achieve this feat while also managing his work commitments as an Executive Director. Judicious, meticulous and sharp – Shri was extraordinary. Only a few can dare to dream the way he did. Having successively scaled a higher mountain every year, including all 8165m of Manaslu, Shri fully understood the gravity of such dreams,” she said in her Instagram post.

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Soma further said that he developed High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), a high-altitude illness that could lead to fatigue and loss of coordination, and “could not make it back down”.

She also said that Dattatraya lived fearlessly and to the fullest. He explored the depths of the sea and scaled the greatest heights of the Earth.

“The search and rescue team was unable to locate him despite their best efforts. I want to thank his guide, Dendi Sherpa, for being his trusted companion through all the formidable Himalayan mountains and always putting Shri first, even before himself. Shri was so fond of Dendi Sherpa and their bond was special,” Soma said in her Instagram post.

“I also thank all the Sherpas from Seven Summits and others from the climbing community who put their lives at risk to look for Shri in such inhospitable terrain. You are all such warriors, thank you,” she added.

In her post, the climber’s wife thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore especially Sean Lim and Joey Lim from the Singapore High Commission in New Delhi. She also thanked the Singapore Embassy in Beijing, P Kumaran from the Indian High Commission of Singapore and the Nepalese and Chinese Governments for their support.