Message-ID: <26311627.1075845289495.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Thu, 24 May 2001 09:55:10 -0700 (PDT) From: monique.sanchez@enron.com To: jake_scarbrough@hotmail.com, '@enron.com Subject: FW: Everest Tragedy Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: Sanchez, Monique X-To: 'jake_scarbrough@hotmail.com,' X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \Sanchez, Monique\Sanchez, Monique\Sent Items X-Origin: SANCHEZ-M X-FileName: Sanchez, Monique.pst -----Original Message----- From: Sanchez, Monique Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 11:54 AM To: 'jmenconi@adv-eng-ser-inc.com' Subject: FW: Everest Tragedy -----Original Message----- From: Sanchez, Monique Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 11:53 AM To: 'hotmail.com,ksanchez@houstonisd.org,sscott5@enron.com,emharris@dow.com' Subject: FW: Everest Tragedy -----Original Message----- From: Sanchez, Monique Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 11:52 AM To: 'jake_scarbrough@hotmail.com,'; 'jmenconi@adv-eng-ser-inc.com,' Subject: Everest Tragedy This email just came in today. One of our brokers from New York has a brother in-law who just summited Everest yesterday at 10eastern. There is a west gas trader that works in new york that is writing the account below. Apparently there was a drastic change in the elements and several are already dead and there is a major rescue underway. I haven't even found anything on this yet on the internet, though i expect there will be news shortly. I thought you all would be moved by this account. -----Original Message----- From: "Frank Ermis" @ENRON [mailto:IMCEANOTES-+22Frank+20Ermis+22+20+3Cfermis+40hotmail+2Ecom+3E+40ENRON@ENRON.com] Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 11:44 AM To: Sanchez, Monique Subject: Fwd: FW: spoke too soon >From: Trevor Vaughan >To: "'fermis@hotmail.com'" >Subject: FW: spoke too soon >Date: Thu, 24 May 2001 11:24:13 -0400 > >this is an email form owen west, he' s a basis trader form j.aron who's >scaling everst >we've been getting weekly update that were all pretty honky-dory till this >one >this email was sent fom 8000 meters yesterday > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Donald Tencellent Jr. > > Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 9:07 AM > > To: Trevor Vaughan > > Subject: FW: spoke too soon > > > > > > > > ---------- > > From: Nagle, Rita[SMTP:rita.nagle@gs.com] > > Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 8:47 AM > > To: Donald Tencellent Jr. > > Subject: FW: spoke too soon > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: himex [mailto:expedition@everestbasecamp.com] > > Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 5:03 AM > > To: patrickw@Youthstream.com; gamacorp@aol.com; owenandsuz@yahoo.com; > > richard.ruzika@gs.com; rita.nagle@gs.com; njones@thecarlylegroup.com; > > jeff.reznick@gs.com; dmandel@sjga.com > > Subject: spoke too soon > > > > > > Unfortunately i am too late to halt my last email. Perspective comes > > quickly > > at 8000 meters and today, thinking back on the ascent and all the rock > > climbing moves on that ridge that might have left me dead given my > > perpetually clumsy condition (wrsened by AMS), I am happy to be alive. >The > > weather is beautiful but the mountain has bitten back and many are dead > > and > > dying, including friends of mine from my own team who summitted too late > > for > > the north side. By the time i am allowed to send this, the media will >have > > already begun reporting on this tragedy. I was slowed by my vomiting and > > had > > i continued, i likely would have been trudging up with this group. > > > > In my last email there is black humor concerning one of my friends: > > ensuring > > his safety so suz and i could take a vacation. He is stuck on the ridge > > now, > > dying, and will likely be dead by morning. One of our strongest guides >is > > with him and he, too, will probably die. This guy is super strong but >the > > altitude has snatched him. We're in shock here and can do nothing but > > stare > > into telescopes and pray that they continue the bleak fight. I have been > > assigned NOK duty and have made two very tough phone calls to young >wives. > > A > > member of the Aussie expedition died suddenly at Camp 2 this morning, 3 > > Russians are stuck with our men on the ridge, and a spaniard is flirting > > with death right now after a bout with cerebral edema, despite Chris > > Warner's valiant effort to get him down from the ridge last night. When >i > > think of this mountain now, i think only of death. > > > > Russ is quite experienced in hig-altitude rescues but this is the first > > time > > he has unleashed the team for our own. It is a totaly professional > > logistical operation (locating and moving oxygen and regulataors back up > > into the jet stream), relying heavily on the sherps who are just > > incredibly > > strong. Many stories of heroism over last 24 hours and many to come. The > > guide and the client spent the night on the ridge (8650 meters), > > incoherent > > and immobile, freezing, but they were saved when Asmus turned around >from > > a > > desperate stumble home, climbed the second step (brutal) for the second > > time > > in 10 hours, and delivered oxygen to the desperate pair just before >dark. > > Asmus tried to roust them and then had to dash for lower altitudes, > > reaching > > top camp (8300 meters...still incredibly dangerous) at 11:30 pm. It was >a > > relatively warm night (just below)and both client and guide were seen > > moving > > space blankets this morning through the telescope. Alive. But they could > > not > > stand. One could not see. No comms. Bivouacs above 8000 meters are epics > > and > > you are sure to read about this. > > > > Coordinating therescue from the Col, Russ then rousted all available > > bodies > > and they started up the ridge for the second time in as many days, Purba > > and > > Lopsang leading the way back into the death zone, humping oxygen. The > > American expedition came upont the bodies this morning and have given up > > their summit attempt (remember, they failed last week and also failed in > > '99 > > so this is a huge sacrifice) to make the rescue. It looked bleak this > > morning but after some injections our teammates began to move, carried >by > > the strong Americans. As i type, they have been moving at a snail's pace > > and > > the Americans will soon have to leave them to save themselves.We hope >our > > sherps are there by then and can take over for what is turning out to be > > an > > absolutely epic and incredibly dangerous rescue. Remember, that ridge is > > 14 > > inches across for stretches, dropping 10,000 feet on either side. When i > > gazed down 2 nights ago, it was truly like staring out of the window of >a > > plane, so steep was the drop. The sherps are going to have to be >supermen. > > > > From the ridge and high camp, chris and asmus (they've been wasting >there > > for over 36 hours now) have been gathering oxygen for the 2000 meter > > descent > > to ABC. They are sucking some themselves to ensure we don't have a > > double-rescue. I'm feeling better and i may be going up to the col to >help > > with the rescue, assuming we get these guys off the ridge alive. Too >high > > for a helo on this side so we'll have to platoon them down asap. Other > > members who summitted earlier are still up too high, too slow descending > > from 'safe' camps, and i may help them down as well. So i will not be >back > > by mem day--we have to get these people down. > > > > The drama unfolded yesterday as i stared through a spotting scope, >sulking > > and making occasional trips to the waste moraine. The client was slower > > and > > slower and then he just stopped on the summit snow field. I thought: uh > > oh. > > Russ had warned them hours before to turn but summit fever had taken >hold > > and the guide was pursuaded by the client. Soon russ was on the radio > > screaming at the guide to drag the client down, but the hour grew late >and > > suddenly a successful summit evolved into a death trap, both men >immobile > > and nearly incoherent, the guide kicking and draggin the client, to no > > avail. Asmus was with them and performed valiantly, as i mentioned, but >no > > one was in a position to help. At that height, every second counts and >the > > other teams rushed past on their way to safety. When you rush into a > > burning > > building you can't linger, especially if your physical performance is > > literally cut in half. > > > > I am praying for these two--and the russians--and it's hard to think f > > anything else as they progress home, mumbling, step by step. I have > > messages > > from their wives but they are unable to [process spoken language at this > > point. Even if they get down, i wonder what the results will be. It's > > really > > sad. I am sure they are also severely dehydrated--i'll explain the >process > > when i get home but siffice to say you literally can't boil water fast > > enough to keepup with needs of body at altitude. My heartbeat at top >camp > > was 180 when i was 'resting' in my sleeping bag before the attempt. My > > tongue split down the middle even though i was trying to keep the fluids > > coming at a rate of a liter an hour, doing nothing. > > > > I feel lucky today. Very lucky. When i think of my own descent, alone, > > throwing up along the way yesterday, i realize just how razor-thin this > > whole thing is. There were times on the ridge where i was hanging by my > > jumar on a supposedly new rope, ony to reach the anchor point to find a > > ten-year-old knot, totally fried by the uv rays. Other times i stepped >in > > snow footprints and slipped, sliding down on my stomach until the rope > > jerked taut. Too many ways to die here.The aussie who gave me his water >in > > the bowl may have prevented another casualty. Who's to say? Problem here > > is > > that, unlike the events we're used to when we sprint to the finish line > > (we > > used to say in crew that the perfect race was when you passsed out at >the > > finish), you have to reserve a certain amount to get the hell down the > > mountain. And it's so hard to do that. Is a quarter tank enough? Half? >Or > > do > > you need even more because, in truth, you are dying from the moment you > > leave camp 3 (not even top camp). > > > > I will pass this info only when the word is out--sorry--but will keep >you > > updated from there once i talk ro russ. It's hard watching friends die >but > > we're helpless down here. > > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com