2 Mount Everest climbers die of altitude sickness, 2 others missing

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10 pointsSCAQTony3 comments

This is a somewhat ironical tragedy - the two dead climbers went on to Everest because, quoting them, "she and her husband wanted to dispel the belief that vegans were 'weak' or 'malnourished' by taking on the climb." and then proceeded to die out of exhaustion on their way down.

I had to verify that this was true. It is true.

Here's an article from before the climb. http://business.monash.edu/news-and-events/news/lecturer-fac...

"Dr Strydom and her husband are not only experienced climbers, they are also both vegan. She said they were inspired to climb the seven summits after receiving numerous questions about their iron and protein deficiencies."

"It seems that people have this warped idea of vegans being malnourished and weak," Dr Strydom said. "By climbing the seven summits we want to prove that vegans can do anything and more."

That's highly inaccurate. First of all only Maria Strydom died, not her husband. Eric Arnold does not appear to have been vegan. Second, altitude sickness and exhaustion are completely different things.

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