Experts have renewed concern over Mount Everest after a missing British climber is feared dead

Fresh concern has been raised following the tragic news that a British climber has gone missing during an expedition to Mount Everest.

Dan Peterson, 40, from Wakefield, UK, and Pastenji Sherpa, 23, who was his guide in Nepal, have not been seen or heard from since Tuesday, May 21.

They managed to reach the summit of the mountain at 8,848m before 5am on Tuesday, they have not made contact since.

Dan’s partner Becks Woodhead also appealed for people’s help and financial support “urgently”.

Dan Paterson hasn’t been seen in almost a week. (Instagram/@danpatwcf)

She wrote on a GoFundMe page: “My name is Becks Woodhead and I am the partner of Dan ‘Pat’ Paterson. Dan’s family and I urgently need your help.

“Tragically, during his descent, Daniel disappeared and there has been no contact or sighting of him since. Time is of the essence in a situation like this and we are mobilizing all the resources we can to locate Dan. “

“Running a search and rescue operation on Everest is an incredibly complex and expensive endeavor. We are not experts in this and there is no guarantee of success,” she concluded.

The disappearance of Paterson and Sherpa also coincides with a snow and ice slide on the mountain, as it was believed that a ledge – known as a hardened snow overhang – may have collapsed.

However, fresh concern has been raised following a social media post showing hundreds of climbers climbing the Hillary Step, a near-vertical rock face near Everest’s summit at about 26,000 feet (7,925 m).

Experts fear that the massively overcrowded queues on the cliff face may have played a role in the collapse of a ledge.

According to Everest Guide and founder of 8K Expeditions, British Lapka Sherpa and his guide, who both used his company, said they sought out the pair after reaching the summit of Everest.

As reported by Sky News, he said: “Despite exhaustive search efforts, we regret to confirm that Daniel and Pastenji could not be recovered.”

Everest Guide Vinayak Malla, who is a member of the International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations (IFMGA), also commented on the case of the missing pair.

The footage suggests a cause for the cornice to fall. (Instagram/everester.raj)

She was climbing Everest that fateful Tuesday, sharing on Instagram that reaching the summit “felt different” than her previous climbs.

Malla posted: “After reaching the top, we crossed the Hillary Step, the traffic was moving slowly, then suddenly a ledge collapsed a few meters in front of us. There was also a cornice below us.

“As the cornice collapsed, four climbers nearly died but were caught by the rope and self-rescued.

“Unfortunately, two climbers are still missing. We tried to cross, but it was impossible because of the traffic on the fixed line,” she concluded.

According to Outside, at least 12 people died climbing Everest last year – with overcrowding often blamed for the death toll.

You can donate here to help find Dan and Pastenji.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/everester.raj / Instagram/@danpatwcf

Topics: News, World News