THE STRAITS TIMES/ANN – Search-and-rescue efforts were underway for a Singaporean individual who reportedly disappeared in the Everest area.
According to a social media post, Harry Tan, 76, was last seen in the vicinity of the Kongma La Pass in Nepal, situated to the south of Everest Base Camp.
In response to inquiries from The Straits Times (ST), a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) confirmed that they are maintaining close communication with both the family of the missing person and the local authorities in Nepal, facilitated by 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.
Raj Tamang, 58, the founder of Responsible Adventures, a trekking company based in Kathmandu, Nepal, told ST that he learnt on Thursday about what had happened to Tan.
Tamang, a Nepali who grew up in Singapore, said he got to know 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 Tan had hit golf balls, teeing off from a height of more than 5,000 metres (m).
Tamang said, “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 Tan started training for the conditions of Mount Everest, he could not stand the cold. But he trained himself to get used to it.
Speaking about their trek in 2019, 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.
