Hilaree Nelson, a well-known U.S. ski climber, went missing on Monday in Nepal while skiing down Mount Manaslu with her partner Jim Morrison. According to authorities, Nelson fell from the 26,755-foot summit.
Nelson, 49, was on the world's eighth-highest mountain when she fell near the peak. Nepalese rescuers were searching for her via helicopter on Tuesday, according to Jiban Ghimire of the Kathmandu-based Shangri-La Nepal Trek, which was responsible for outfitting the trip, CBS News reported.
"She had an accident yesterday as she was descending shortly after her summit. We are trying to get clarity on what happened," Ghimire said, the Associated Press reported.
Rescue efforts were stalled on Monday due to weather causing low visibility, but Ghimire said conditions improved on Tuesday, and two search and rescue helicopters were sent to the area, CBS News reported.
"She is believed to have slipped close to the summit. Search teams on foot may also be deployed in the accident area," Bigyan Koirala, a tourism department official, told AFP.
Nelson has had a prolific career as a ski mountaineer spanning more than two decades. In 2012 she became the first woman to summit Everest and its adjacent Lhotse within 24 hours.
In 2018 Nelson returned to Lhotse and made the first-ever descent of the mountain on skis, an accomplishment that won her the National Geographic Adventurer of the Year award.
During Nepal's autumn climbing season, hundreds of climbing fanatics and their local guides attempted to summit the mountain.
Monday also saw an avalanche at lower mountain elevations, hitting at least 13 climbers and killing a Nepali guide while injuring others.
Some of those injured were flown to Kathmandu area hospitals, and all those caught in the avalanche were found.
As for Nelson, her disappearance was confirmed by her sponsor, The North Face, on Instagram.
"We are in touch with Hilaree's family and supporting search and rescue efforts in every way we can," the company said in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
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