US: A day after his girlfriend was fatally buried by an avalanche in the US state of Montana, a renowned US mountain climber killed himself. He was found dead at his Bozeman Montana residence on Sunday.
On October 7, Inge Perkins (23) and Hayden Kennedy (27), both sponsored outdoor athletes, had been backcountry skiing when they were hit by a slab of hard snow.
While Perkins was fully buried and killed by the slide, Kennedy received minor injuries and was able to call for help and survived the avalanche.
However, a day later, he chose to end his life and committed a suicide.
The death of the young couple has shocked the mountaineering community.
The couple had recently moved to Bozeman Montana near to where the accident took place.
Hayden’s father Michael Kennedy confirmed his son’s death as he wrote in his Facebook post, “He chose to end his life. Myself and his mother Julie sorrowfully respect his decision.”
As per a Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center report, the slide occurred at around 10,000 ft above sea level as the two were skiing uphill using climbing skins on the bottoms of their skis.
He had recently climbed a new route on K7 in Pakistan, a feat that attracted the attention of the international alpinist community.
Only a week before his death, Hayden wrote for the blog Evening Sends about the loss of friends in the wilderness. “It’s not just the memorable summits and crux moves that are fleeting,” he wrote, describing a climb in Mexico with three friends who have all since died in the mountains.
“Friends and climbing partners are fleeting, too.”
“This is the painful reality of our sport, and I’m unsure what to make of it.”
Bureau Report
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