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Body of Aussie mountaineer who died trying to climb the world’s second highest mountain after slipping on a steep slope is retrieved as tributes flow in
- Sydney man Matthew Eakin has died on K2 in the Himalayas mountain range
- He was descending the notorious K2 peak when it is believed he slipped and fell
- Another man, Canadian Richard Cartier, also died in the tragic fall
- Mr Eakin was a popular mountaineer and tributes poured onto Facebook
A ‘shining star’ of Australian mountaineering has died in a tragic accident while climbing the world’s second-highest mountain.
The body of Matthew Eakin was retrieved from K2, known as the Savage Mountain, in the Himalayas after he went missing a week ago.
Tributes for the Sydney man from friends and the climbing community flooded social media.
‘I will always see your smile in the clouds,’ wrote Felicity Symons in one of many Facebook tributes.
‘Rest easy my dear friend on the mountains you loved.’
A ‘shining star’ of Australian mountaineering. Matthew Eakin, has died in a tragic accident while climbing the world’s second-highest mountain (Pictured, Mr Eakin, left with a friend in 2015)
The body of Matthew Eakin was retrieved from K2, known as the Savage Mountain, in the Himalayas after he went missing a week ago (Pictured, Mr Eakin gives a thumbs up on the K2 climb that was to be his last)
It is believed Mr Eakin and Richard Cartier fell on a steep snow slope during their descent (Pictured, Mr Eakin at left)
Mr Eakin was on a trek with two Canadian men, Richard Cartier and Justin Dube-Fahmy. Mr Eakin and Mr Cartier both went missing.
Both their bodies were recovered.
On July 21, Mr Dube-Fahmy posted online that the trio were exhausted after 16 hours climbing and that Mr Eakin and Mr Cartier were heading back to base camp.
It is believed both men fell on a steep snow slope during their descent.
At 8,611 metres, K2 is the world’s second-tallest mountain but is considered a more dangerous climb than the highest peak, Mount Everest, due to its steeper faces and extreme weather.
Since record were first kept 95 people have died climbing K2.
Mr Eakin was an experienced mountaineer who had climbed the mountain previously.
A devastated Bree Shedden, his former college friend, said Mr Eakin fulfilled the big plans he had in life.
At 8,611 metres, K2 is the world’s second-tallest mountain but is considered a more dangerous and difficult climb than the highest peak, Mount Everest
Mr Eakin was a popular figure in the Australian mountaineering scene. He is pictured with a friend Jo Nevin
‘You will be on my mind forever and always,’ wrote a Nepalese friend, Suman Mahara
‘The only silver lining in this is that he always told me he was going to journey the world, he wanted to run all the way across Australia to start!
‘Even at 19 years old he was planning big things. He sure did live life to the fullest which was exactly what he always said he would do.
‘Fly high Matt, Thankyou so much for all the fun times and memories… another shining star gone way too soon.’
Another friend, Jimmy Smith, lamented that Mr Eakin would not make it home.
‘It only seems like last year we were sitting in Nepal, eating pizza and going through all our photos. Sorry your not coming home this year.’
Another friend, Jo Nevin posted ‘You’ve grown your wings way too soon. Love you Matty.’
‘You will be on my mind forever and always,’ wrote a Nepalese friend, Suman Mahara.
Mr Eakin founded a Facebook group, Mountaineering Downunder, which has nearly 3,000 members.
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