An American citizen died in Nepal on Monday while climbing Mount Everest, officials said.
The U.S. Embassy in Nepal confirmed the death of Dr. Jonathan Sugarman in a statement Tuesday but did not offer additional details.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends,” it said. “The Embassy is in contact with Dr. Sugarman’s family and with local authorities.”
A cause of death was not immediately clear.
International Mountain Guides, a Washington-based company, announced the death of a member of its expedition team Monday.
The company’s owner, Eric Simonson, said in a statement that the death was not the result of an accident but declined to offer additional details.
“The rest of the IMG climbing team is all doing as well as can be expected given the circumstances,” he said.
Mount Everest, a peak in the Himalayan mountain range, is the highest point on Earth at nearly 30,000 feet above sea level. An American, Puwei Liu, died in 2021 at its highest camp, returning after snow blindness and exhaustion prevented him from reaching the peak.
Experienced guides told NBC News in 2019 that a large contributing factor for the deaths that climbing season was a lack of preparation. Climbers can underestimate the difficulty of the journey and seek permits despite their inexperience. (NBC)