Overview

• Alexander Pancoe, a renowned mountaineer and cancer survivor, died at Camp II of Mt Makalu, the world’s fifth-highest peak, on May 4, 2025.
• The cause of death is suspected to be cardiac arrest, pending confirmation through a postmortem examination in Kathmandu.
• Pancoe had completed an acclimatization rotation to Camp III before descending to Camp II, where he fell ill and could not be revived by his team.
• He was climbing to raise $27,838—representing Mt Makalu’s height in feet—for Lurie Children’s Hospital’s pediatric blood cancer program.
• Efforts are currently underway to retrieve Pancoe’s body, with his family and the US Embassy in Kathmandu informed of his passing.