Man Who Survived Brain Tumor Dies While Trying to Climb Remote 27,000-Foot Mountain

Yahoo

06-05-2025

Mountain climber Alex Pancoe, who had previously survived a brain tumor, died on May 4 while on a climbing trip in Nepal
He reportedly scaled the tallest peaks on seven continents while raising money for charity
'Through your own battles of having a brain tumor and leukemia you never let that stop you," Pancoe's wife, Nina, wrote in an Instagram post honoring her late husband
A 39-year-old American has died during a climbing expedition of Nepal's Mount Makalu over the weekend.
In a Monday, May 5, Facebook post, the Seattle-based Madison Mountaineering confirmed that Alex Pancoe, the organization's teammate and friend, died on the evening of Sunday, May 4, at Camp 2 on Makalu.
'Alex was sharing a tent with our expedition leader and guide, Terray Sylvester,' read the statement, 'The two had just finished dinner and were settling into their sleeping bags, chatting casually, when Alex suddenly became unresponsive. Despite hours of resuscitation efforts by Terray and our team of climbers and Sherpa at Camp 2, they were unable to revive him.'
In its post, Madison Mountaineering recounted that Pancoe was in high spirits and full of energy earlier that Sunday.
'He had been thoroughly enjoying the expedition,' the group shared. 'Above all, Alex was a devoted father who spoke often and lovingly about his children—they were the center of his world.'
'His passing is a tremendous loss, and our hearts go out to his family during this incredibly difficult time,' Madison Mountaineering's post concluded.
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Iswari Paudel, a managing director at Himalayan Guides, which organized the expedition, told the Independent that Pancoe possibly died of cardiac arrest, but he added that 'the cause of the death can be confirmed after postmortem only.'
Paudel also said that Pancoe's team of four was about to rest for the night when he felt ill. The others tried to revive him for more than an hour but were unsuccessful.
Paudel also told the Independent that Pancoe's family has been informed and that efforts are being made to transport his body from the camp.
Alex Pancoe/Instagram Alex Pancoe
Alex Pancoe
Mount Makalu is the fifth-tallest mountain in the world at over 27,000 feet, said Nepal's tourism board.
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According to a Reuters report, Pancoe survived a brain tumor when he was younger. At the time of his death, Pancoe was fighting chronic myeloid leukemia and was making the climb at Makalu to generate money for the pediatric blood cancer program at Chicago's Lurie Children's Hospital, according to expedition leader Garrett Madison, who acknowledged Pancoe's death in a separate Facebook post.
Pancoe reportedly scaled the tallest peaks on seven continents while raising money for charity, per NBC affiliate WMAQ.
His wife Nina, with whom she shared two children, posted a lengthy tribute to her late husband on Instagram, calling him 'the love of my life.'
Related: Chicago Teen Makes History as Youngest American Woman to Reach the Top of Mt. Everest
'The moment I received that call from a satellite number I wanted to think it was nothing but deep down I knew something was very wrong,' she wrote. 'At first I thought you broke a bone, but to hear those words that your heart stopped and CPR was not working my heart shattered into a million pieces. I knew you were gone.'
'Through your own battles of having a brain tumor and leukemia you never let that stop you. You lived each day to the fullest making an impact on the world around you. You are the kindest, sweetest, most passionate person I have ever met,' Nina later added.
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'You died doing something you loved in a place that you loved. People always asked me how could you let him climb and my response was because it was his passion and something that he absolutely loved. Your legacy will live on forever and will continue to make sure everyone knows how special you were,' she further wrote.
PEOPLE contacted Madison Mountaineering and Himalayan Guides for comment on Tuesday, May 6, but they did not immediately respond.
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