Singaporean who died on Mt Kilimanjaro appeared well following return to campsite: Local tour operator

SINGAPORE: The Singaporean man who died on Aug 9 from health complications due to altitude sickness after attempting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro had appeared to be well following his return to camp the day before, said a Tanzanian tour operator.

Speaking to CNA on late on Wednesday (Aug 16), Mr Mathew Jacky Mollel, who is the founder and director of Wild Root Safaris and Adventures, said that Mr Darrel Phee had started feeling unwell on Aug 8, the day the tour group was due to summit the mountain.

The climb was scheduled from Aug 3 to Aug 11.

According to Mr Mollel, whose company's guides were leading the tour group Mr Phee was a part of, the Singaporean was forced to return to the campsite with a guide and “was measured and was okay” when he returned. He was also able to have dinner.

But at around 6am, Mr Phee was discovered in a bathroom by a guide, said Mr Mollel.

Singapore travel agency Adventures Unlimited, in a Facebook post on early Aug 12 morning, said it "received the sad news of a tragedy which had happened during the Kilimanjaro trek".

"One of our team members, Mr Darrel Phee, lost his life during the expedition," it added. The man was 28 years old.

Mr Phee's "readings and symptoms have been normal throughout the days of the hike", said the post.

"However, on the morning of the summit hike, his oxygen levels dropped and his heart rate increased."

It was then decided that he would not scale the mountain and he returned to the campsite with a guide, as per safety protocols. At the campsite, Mr Phee was closely monitored, according to Adventures Unlimited.

Mr Phee was eventually transported to Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center, said Mr Mollel.

"Unfortunately due to the onset of altitude sickness and its serious health complications, his condition deteriorated and he passed away,” Adventures Unlimited said in its Facebook post.

He died of asphyxia and high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), it added.

Fatal accidents on Mount Kilimanjaro are very rare, with a probability of less than 1 per cent, Adventures Unlimited said.

But it added that high altitude, extreme weather conditions, the physical condition of the climber and the physical challenges presented could be contributory causes of death.

Adventures Unlimited said it "remains committed to transparency and accountability to our participants".

At 5,895m, Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest peak. While popular with adventure seekers, "with more than 50 per cent of climbers suffering from mountain sickness, it is an extreme altitude mountain trek", said the Climbing Kilimanjaro website.

CNA has reached out to Adventures Unlimited for further information.