Edited by George Bernard
KATMANDU, May 19 Three Australian climbers were rescued by helicopter Monday from a mountain in Tibet, but the body of their leader, who died of altitude sickness, was left behind, Australian officials said.
The Australian Embassy in Katmandu received special permission from Chinese authorities to fly a helicopter to the 8,201-meter high Mount Cho-Oyu, which is in Tibetan territory, and bring the three mountaineers to Nepal.
“There is no danger to the three mountaineers who were flown in, and they are resting at a hotel in Katmandu,” Australian Ambassador to Nepal Keith Garner told The Associated Press.
The rescued climbers were identified as Nick Farr, Mick Harvey and Jack Carmody, all from Victoria sate.
Garner said the Australian, Chinese and Nepalese governments made arrangements to obtain permission to fly into Tibet to rescue the mountain climbers.
However, it was not possible to bring out the body of the expedition leader, Paul Carr, a 42-year-old policeman also from Victoria.
Garner said the body was still at the base camp and the embassy would try to carry it down on yaks and have it driven back to Nepal later. The helicopter could not land at the base camp, as it was steep and rocky.
Carr died of altitude sickness, a common illness among mountaineers at high elevation, where there is less oxygen and climbers are exhausted.
