A Canadian Climber Has Died After Going Missing on K2 — The World's Second-Highest Peak
An Australian climber died on the same expedition.
K2 with tents in the foreground.
A Canadian climber has died on K2, the world's second-highest mountain.
According to The Himalayan, the body of Quebec doctor Richard Cartier, 61, was found on the mountain on Tuesday.
The remains of one of Cartier's travel partners, an Australian climber named Matthew Eakin, were also found.
The two mountain climbers reportedly went missing last week during their descent from Camp 2 to Camp 1. Their bodies were found below the camp in different locations.
Cartier's family confirmed his death with a post on Facebook.
Per Escalade Quebec, a mountaineering community website, Cartier was a seasoned mountain climber who had climbed ranges around the globe.
He is survived by his wife and two adult children.
Before they went missing, Cartier and Eakin's journey was documented by their travel companion, Justin Dubé-Fahmy, on Facebook and Instagram.
In Dubé-Fahmy's last update related to the expedition, posted on July 21, he stated that he, Cartier and Eakin were "pretty tired" after 16 hours of climbing to an elevation of 7,600.
The post stated that it was "starting to get cold" and they were beginning their journey back to "base camp."
It was during this descent that the two climbers went missing.
Dubé-Fahmy is believed to be safe.
According to CTV News, K2 is one of the world's deadliest and most challenging mountains.
Only a few hundred have ever summited the peak, compared to Everest which has been summited around 9,000 times.
Most deadly incidents happen during the descent.
This tragic loss comes after Marie-Pier Desharnais summited K2 on July 22, possibly becoming the first Quebecer and first Canadian woman to accomplish the feat.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.