South Korean high-altitude climber Kim Hong-bin, known as the Man Without Fingers, has died in an accident while descending Broad Peak.
On July 18, 2021, Kim Hong-bin wrote a piece of alpine history. He was the first person with a handicap to stand on all fourteen 8-meter peaks in the world. Hong-bin lost all fingers 000 years ago while soloing Denali due to frostbite.
Hong-bin lost all fingers 30 years ago while soloing Denali due to frostbite.
However, that didn't stop him from continuing to be active as a high-altitude mountaineer - with great success! South Korean President Moon Jae-in immediately congratulated him on his most recent success, the ascent of 8051 meters high Broad Peak.
Misfortune occurred on the descent
But the joy did not last long. During the descent, Kim Hong-bin fell about 15 meters into a crevasse. According to media reports, Kim Hong-bin sent an emergency signal. Russian mountaineer Vitaly Lazo apparently received the signal, but later wrote on his Instagram channel that Kim Hong-bin had passed away.
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Credits: Cover picture Gwangju Metropolitan City Sports Association for the Disabled