British Hiker Kellinu Portelli Dies During Everest Climb for Charity on 'Adventure of a Lifetime'

A British hiker has died on 'the adventure of a lifetime' while climbing Mount Everest. Kellinu Portelli was trekking around the Himalayas for a cancer charity when the incident occurred. He was found dead at the base camp. It is believed that he suffered from extreme altitude sickness and has been monitored for low oxygen levels. The super runner known as Kell died in his sleep. During the trek, he had messaged his friends and family on WhatsApp that he was feeling better and was being treated for oxygen levels. An online fundraising page set up before Kellinu left has now raised £4,700 for the Marie Curie charity. Nepalese Climber Nirmal Purja Sets New Record in Mountaineering by Scaling World’s 14 Highest Peaks in 190 Days.

Daily Mail quoted his wife Donna as saying, "I said to him just be careful and he said, 'I will be careful I promise. That night there was a festival on and Kell was dancing and singing with locals and then he went to bed. In the morning the guide said he went to get him but he died in his sleep. We are waiting for a post mortem but we are 99 per cent certain it is the low oxygen." Kell was flown to a hospital in Kathmandu on a helicopter but was declared dead on arrival. Kell and Donna had been married for 30 years and have two children, 26-year-old Lucia and 20-year-old Sam.

Donna added, "He had been face-timing us from Nepal and would be crying down the phone. He was such an emotional man and he'd cry because he missed us. But he was having a great time over there, he told his daughter it was a life-changing experience. He wanted to do Everest as he wanted to do something special and he wanted to raise money for Marie Curie as my mum died of lung cancer and we lost a close friend to cancer last year." Dead Bodies Appear on Mt Everest; Climate Change Cause Melting Glaciers, Exposing Corpses of Unfortunate Climbers.

Kell flew from Heathrow 11 days ago and landed at Lukla Airport in Nepal, on his way to Everest Base Camp for the three-week trip. Kell who was a member of the Les Croupiers running club regularly took part in various events. Before he left, Kell wrote online, "One more sleeps and I'm off on what I hope will be an adventure of a lifetime raising funds for an amazing charity. Thank you all for your generous donations and support."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 31, 2019 08:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).