On Thursday, Kenyans received the sombre news of the death of mountaineer Cheruiyot Kirui, as he attempted to summit Mt Everest without supplemental oxygen.
But what killed him?
According to mountain climber and entrepreneur James Muhia, Cheruiyot and his sherpa guide, Nawang Sherpa, took a fall.
In a statement on his Mountain Stories X account, Muhia said before the fatal fall, Cheruiyot, who has been nicknamed the daredevil, was only 48 metres from the Everest Summit.
"Whereas it is not possible to determine the exact sequence of events, we know that Cheruiyot and his sherpa guide, Nawang Sherpa, took a fall," Muhia said.
He said Cheruiyot lost radio communication with basecamp early morning of Wednesday, May 22, on his summit push.
He was then reported missing by his expedition company and immediately a team of rescue sherpas stationed at Camp 4 were dispatched to the point of last contact.
"Cheruiyot's body was discovered at an altitude of 8,800m, 48 meters from the summit," Muhia said.
Muhia extended his condolences to Cheruiyot's friends, colleagues and the wider outdoor community.
He stated that the search for Nawang Sherpa is still ongoing and extended heartfelt condolences to his family in Nepal.
"We pray that he is found," Muhia added.
In a previous post, the man stated that he and Cheruiyot had undergone vigorous exercises in preparation to summit the Everest.
In a photograph with himself and the fallen mountaineer, he explains that they reached the summit of Mt Manaslu (8163m) on September 24, 2023.
"We climbed this mountain without supplemental oxygen and Sherpa support. It was a climb to prepare us for Mt Everest," Muhia said.
He went on to state that he was supposed to accompany Cheruiyot on this expedition but he pulled out three weeks after the expedition due to personal reasons.
"I trusted him with my life on Manaslu. I did not have any doubts about Everest. He has accomplished things that I can only admire. Some I am sure I will never accomplish," Muhia said.
"As you air your opinions on risks and all, it's important to remember who he is and what he has accomplished. We choose to honour him for who he is."
