A Portishead man climbing Pakistan’s highest mountain, K2, for charity had to be airlifted to safety after succumbing to altitude sickness. Saadat Mumtaz, 48, was attempting to reach the KS base camp for Brain Tumour Research, after losing his mum Saeeda to the disease in 1988.
He got as far as Urdakas, 4,034 metres up the mountain, before he was extracted by helicopter for treatment. Altitude sickness is caused by the low oxygen and low temperatures, and is common above altitudes of 2,500 metres.
Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Without treatment, it can lead to life-threatening high-altitude oedema accompanied by weakness, loss of coordination and hallucinations.
