Singaporean goes missing in Everest region, search operations underway

SINGAPORE - Search-and-rescue operations have begun for a Singaporean man who has gone missing in the Everest region.

According to a post circulating online, Mr Harry Tan, 76, went missing near the Kongma La Pass in Nepal, which is south of Everest Base Camp.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said it has been in close contact with the family of the missing man and the local authorities in Nepal, through the Singapore High Commission in New Delhi.

"Search-and-rescue operations are under way," the spokesperson said, adding that MFA will continue to monitor developments and give the family consular support.

According to trekking websites, the Kongma La Pass is a challenging trekking route at a high altitude.

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

Mr Raj Tamang, 58, the founder of Responsible Adventures, a trekking company based in Kathmandu, Nepal, told ST that he learnt on Sept 26 about what had happened to Mr Tan.

Mr Tamang, a Nepali who grew up in Singapore, said he got to know Mr Tan in 2015 through a golf tour in Nepal that he helped to organise for a group of golfers from Seletar Golf Club.

In 2019, the pair went on a trek to Everest Base Camp, during which Mr Tan had hit golf balls, teeing off from a height of more than 5,000m. 

Said Mr Tamang: "Harry is a very fit person. He takes very good care of himself, for example, by having proper vegan meals. He's a good listener and is willing to learn."

He added that before Mr Tan started training for the conditions of Mount Everest, he could not stand the cold. But he trained himself to get used to it.

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Speaking about their trek in 2019, Mr Tamang said: "When we were at the highest point at 5,180m, that's where he said he slept the best - when he should have been the coldest and most uncomfortable. That's how much he had adjusted himself.

"I hope to be trekking when I'm in my 80s and Harry is one of the inspirations for me."

In May 2023, a 39-year-old Singaporean went missing after reaching the summit of Mount Everest.

After reaching the top, he told his wife through a message from his satellite phone that he had come down with high-altitude cerebral edema, a severe type of high-altitude illness. He did not make it down the mountain and a search-and-rescue team was not able to find him.

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