Two American climbers, David Reinhart and Eric Nourse, died over the weekend due to complications from altitude sickness as they attempted to summit South America’s highest mountain.
At 4 a.m. on Friday, David Reinhart, Eric Nourse and Eric’s twin brother Greg set out under a full moon to summit South America’s highest Summit, 22,841-foot Aconcagua. On the ascent Reinhart began to suffer from altitude sickness and couldn’t go any farther. Eric Nourse set out to summit the peak and then find the less challenging trail down the mountain to get help. After 10 hours, Eric’s brother Greg secured Reinhart to the mountain and set out for help. 90 minutes after reaching high camp Eric arrived suffering from altitude sickness. Eric decided to take a brief nap before heading down the mountain. A short time later Argentinian emergency workers tried to rouse him but his hart stopped and they were unable to resuscitate him.
Two days later porters reached Reinhart’s body on the glacier. It is reported that Reinhart had somehow climbed another 150 feet up the mountain before collapsing.
You can read more about the events of this deadly tragedy at the Denver Post