Body of retired lecturer who fell off Everest cliff arrives home

The body of Mr Harry Tan Eng Kwang, who died after he slipped and fell while hiking in the Everest region of Nepal about two weeks ago, arrived in Singapore on Oct 9.

His family is holding a three-day wake at The Garden of Remembrance in Old Choa Chu Kang Road and the cremation will be held on Oct 12.

Mr Tan, 76, reportedly went missing on Sept 26 near the 5,500m-high Kongma La Pass in Nepal, which is south of Everest Base Camp.

His body was found on Oct 4 after a search-and-rescue operation that lasted more than a week.

Speaking to The Straits Times at a packed funeral wake, his wife, Dr Jessie Png, said her prayers were answered when his body was found, as bad weather conditions had hampered rescue efforts.

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Dr Png, 66, who is a senior lecturer at the Nanyang Technological University’s National Institute of Education (NIE), said: “It was challenging for the rescue team to find Harry due to the snow.

“I saw pictures and the rescuers were knee-deep in snow. Fortunately, they succeeded with the help of equipment like satellite phones, scanners and walkie-talkies.”

When she found out from Mr Tan’s former colleagues that he had gone missing, she became worried but held on to hope that he would return safely.

“He was supposed to return home on Oct 10. No one expected this to happen,” said Dr Png.

The couple have no children.

She said the trip was Mr Tan’s third time trekking in Nepal, and he had trained hard for it. His regime included hiking at Bukit Timah Hill.

“He loved trekking and being in nature. He was also fit and followed a plant-based diet.”

Dr Png described her husband as somebody who lived life to the fullest and was always ready to lend a listening ear to those around him.

She said: “He was out meeting his former students and colleagues almost every day. He treasured these relationships and was always there for them.”

Trekking websites describe the Kongma La Pass as a challenging route, at an altitude that is higher than Everest Base Camp.

It offers views of Mount Everest and is part of the Three Passes Trek that can take about two to three weeks to complete.

Dr Png said Mr Tan had slipped and fallen off a cliff due to bad weather while he was trekking with a group of three Chinese nationals to a lodge in Lobuche, a Nepalese mountain.

She said a “freak” snowstorm after he started the trek that day caused things to go awry.

According to Dr Png, a woman in the group saw Mr Tan roll down the cliff. Another man in the group tried to get to Mr Tan and asked his sherpa, or guide, for assistance, but the guide allegedly refused to help.

The rescue mission was put off for several days due to heavy snowfall. It resumed on Oct 2.

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After crowdfunding and with the help of Mr Tan’s friends, Dr Png hired a group of Nepalese professionals to search for Mr Tan with the help of a helicopter.

Based on the location where he was found, she believes he had walked some distance from where he had fallen to try to get help.

In their eulogies at the wake, his friends described him as a disciplined man who took his health seriously. They also spoke of his love for singing and playing the guitar.

They said he was a kind man who offered good advice to his friends when they came to him with problems.

Tributes poured in for Mr Tan after news of his death broke.

In a Facebook post on Oct 4, Dr Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah, an MP for Jalan Besar GRC, described Mr Tan as “a man of immense passion, strength and spirit”.

“His love for adventure and dedication to lifelong learning inspired so many of us,” said Dr Rizal, who was mentored by Mr Tan when he was a physical education teacher-in-training.

“May his adventurous soul rest in peace. Thank you, Harry, for your impact on our lives.”

Mr Tan retired as a teacher at NIE in 2010, but continued to lecture part-time from 2013 to 2020.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.