Following the death of Kenyan mountaineer Joshua Cheruiyot Kirui near the peak of Mount Everest, this post on X claims to show the retrieval of Kirui’s body. The same video was also shared here, making the same claim.
Background
40-year-old Kenyan mountaineer Joshua Cheruiyot Kirui embarked on the challenge of climbing Everest without supplementary oxygen. He documented his journey on his official Instagram account, with his final update posted on May 17, 2024.
He was declared missing above 8,000m on May 22, and was found dead the following day, 20 meters below the summit of Mount Everest. Kirui was an avid mountain climber and adventure runner, having successfully scaled Mt. Kenya more than ten times, as well as climbing Mount Manaslu, the eighth-highest mountain in the world, without supplemental oxygen, in September 2023.
The air density on the upper slopes of Mount Everest prevents helicopters from operating effectively. Mount Everest is situated above 8,000 meters, while helicopters can only land at elevations up to 6,400 meters. The bodies of mountaineers who perish on Everest are often not retrieved due to the high cost and significant danger involved in such operations. Additionally, a frozen body can weigh as much as 136 kilograms, making retrieval even more challenging.
More than 300 people are known to have died on Everest, and there are about 200 corpses on the mountain that cannot be removed due to the logistical and practical challenges involved.
Verification
A Google Reverse Image search redirects to this video posted on the abdi_trek Instagram page on November 3, 2023, with the caption “Long line Rescue in Everest.” A long line rescue refers to the use of a long rope attached to a helicopter to rescue injured mountain-climbers from vertical or overhanging rock faces. A length of rope, up to 200-metre long, is suspended from the helicopter, which enables the rescuer to reach the injured person even in high, steep, vertical rock faces.
The video contained in the tweet has been posted multiple times, with one such clip being posted on June 6, 2023, almost a year before Kirui began his climb. The abdi_trek and aventuraenlamontana pages primarily share hiking and trekking content.
Verdict
Claims that a video of a long line rescue from Mount Everest shows the retrieval of the body of Kenyan mountaineer Joshua Cheruiyot Kirui are FALSE.
The post Does This Video Show The Retrieval of Kenyan Mountaineer Joshua Cheruiyot Kirui’s Body from Mount Everest? appeared first on Piga Firimbi.