Everest Legend dies

 

Mountaineer and adventure filmmaker David Breashears, best known for an IMAX documentary about climbing Mount Everest, has died aged 68.

Breashears was found unresponsive at his home in Massachusetts on Thursday and died of natural causes, said his business manager Ellen Golbranson.

She added that “the exact cause of death remains unknown at this time”.

Breashears was an experienced mountaineered who climbed the world’s most challenging peaks. As a cinematographer he worked on documentaries and feature films.

According to his website, in 1983, he transmitted the first live television pictures from the summit of Everest, and in 1985 he became the first American to reach the summit twice.

Breashears reached the summit of Mount Everest five times in total, his family said.

“He combined his passion for climbing and photography to become one of the world’s most admired adventure filmmakers,” they said in a statement.

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