Kenyans Comfort Cheruiyot Kirui's Family After Decision To Leave Body On Mt Everest: "Hard Decision"

• Cheruiyot Kirui's family shared that their beloved son fell into a crevasse on Mt Everest together with his guide, Nawanga, whose body is yet to be found
• According to the family, sending a rescue team down there would endanger their lives, and so they opted to leave the body there
• They said they found solace in the fact that he loved the mountains, and they loved him back so he would be happy in his final place of rest

Kenyans from all walks of life have shared words of encouragement with the family of the late Cheruiyot Kirui after their decision to leave his body on Mt Everest.

What is a crevasse?

In a press statement, the family said that their son fell into a crevasse with his guide, Nawang Sherpa and removing him from it would endanger the lives of other people.

According to the National Geographic Education website, a crevasse is a deep, wedge-shaped opening in a moving mass of ice called a glacier. Crevasses usually form in the top 50 meters (160 feet) of a glacier, where the ice is brittle.

The family, therefore, decided to leave the body and were comforted by the fact that he died doing what he loved most.

"He loved mountains, and they loved him in return. We find solace in knowing that he is in his happy place," read the statement.

On Lemiso Leboo's Facebook page, Kenyans shared their messages of comfort:

Kenyans console the family

Irene Cherono:

"Sad. May God give the family strength."

Sereya Grace:

"Poleni sana may you find comfort. To the family Mungu awafariji."

Virginia Ginny Gin:

"Sending my deepest sympathies to his family. May God give them peace and comfort."

Hazel Mburu:

"He probably would have wanted it that way. May he rest in eternal peace and may God comfort his family. RIP champ ."

Honeyline Baibe Jey:

"He's in his happy place.Fly higher bro."

Ochieng Ayara:

"Perpetual Light shine upon our strong willed hero, and may The Almighty comfort his family."

Faith Mwende:

"May Cheruiyot AK continue resting in peace. Sincere condolences to the family and friends."

Gladys Kosgei:

"He is resting in his happy place. Hugs to his family."

Cheruiyot Kirui's family says he fell

Another story revealed that the late Cheruiyot scaled Mt Everest after carefully planning and researching the expedition and climbing the world's highest mountain in Nepal.

In a statement, his family said that the late Cheruiyot lost radio communication with Basecamp early in the morning of May 22, 2024, during his summit push.

Cheruiyot's body was discovered at an altitude of 8,800m, 48 meters from the summit, after taking a fall together with his guide Nawang Sherpa.

What else you need to know

Cheruiyot Kirui's body is now lying frozen a few metres from the peak where he was found dead; to retrieve a body would cost millions of Kenyan shilling.

As they grapple with the loss of their adventurous son, his family reflects on his remarkable journey and the passion for climbing that ignited within him at a young age.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke