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Body of famed US ski climber found 2 days after she went missing from Nepal mountain

Nepal US Missing Mountaineer
Posted at 11:45 AM, Sep 28, 2022
and last updated 2022-09-28 13:45:38-04

KATHMANDU, Nepal — Rescuers in Nepal have recovered the body of famed U.S. ski climber Hilaree Nelson two days after she fell near the peak of Mount Manaslu.

Nelson and her partner Jim Morrison were on a skiing expedition on the world's eighth tallest mountain. On Monday, the duo was skiing down the summit when she fell off the mountain, the Associated Press reported.

A government official told CNN and The New York Times that an avalanche swept off her feet and carried her down a narrow snow slope.

Rescue efforts for the 49-year-old were called off Monday due to bad weather. The search for Nelson continued on Tuesday, but rescuers were unsuccessful.

Officials told ABC News and The Times that her body was found, and it was recovered via helicopter. It was then taken to Kathmandu.

"There are no words to describe the love for this woman, my life partner, my lover, my best friend, and my mountain partner," Morrison wrote on social media, the news outlets reported.

An avalanche lower down on the mountain Monday also claimed the life of a Sherpa guide and injured 13 others on a separate climbing expedition, the Associated Press reported.