The wife of an "extremely" fit climber believes he "powered through" symptoms of altitude sickness before he died near Mount Everest, an inquest heard.
Kellinu Portelli, 54, died on October 29, 2019 at the Himalayan Chain Resort in Lobuche, Nepal which is situated a few hours away from the Everest base camp. The father-of-two was trekking to the base camp in order to raise funds for the Marie Curie charity.
Coroner David Regan delivered a narrative conclusion at South Wales Central Coroner's Court on Thursday. He said that Mr Portelli died as a result of high-altitude sickness while trekking in Nepal. Mr Regan read a statement from Mr Portelli's wife, Donna, who said she was worried about him the last time they spoke - a day before his death.
She said that he "was a very fit person" who had finished "seven or eight marathons" in the decades leading up to his death and also took part in other training, emphasising that he was "very well-prepared" for the trek. She added: "Kellinu for most of the time appeared positive and upbeat and I recall speaking to him on the day before he died.
“He looked quite tired, he told me that his oxygen levels were borderline but he didn’t give specific oxygen levels. He assured me that he was OK.
"I queried if he was dehydrated. Although he seemed tired he seemed otherwise fine and in good spirits.” She later delivered an emotional tribute to the inquest, describing him as someone who was "passionate about his family and friends".
She continued: “He was extremely fit, strong and extraordinarily well prepared for his trek both physically and emotionally. As he’d undertaken so many marathons he was used to taking his body to its limits and beyond.
"I firmly believe he may have felt the effects of altitude sickness but assumed these effects may have been expected with this type of challenge, this would not have deterred him. Giving up would not have been an option for him.
“He would have powered through like he always did. The result of this ended in unforeseen tragedy.
“His death has left an unfathomable hole in our lives that at best is hard to bear and at worst excruciatingly painful beyond words.”
Post-mortem examinations carried out in both Nepal and the UK said Mr Regan's cause of death was "high-altitude pulmonary edemna". There was no evidence that alcohol, injury or a disease process within his body caused his death, the coroner said.
The coroner said: “The circumstances of his death are that he had a background history of being an extremely fit marathon runner who had prepared for trekking at altitude in Nepal.
“I’m entirely satisfied that there is no evidence that Kellinu was subject to any injury caused by anyone else causing his death and there is no evidence of any disease process within his body causing his death and I’m left with the circumstances of the sudden death of an otherwise fit and healthy individual in a closed hotel room which needed to be broken into by his guide in circumstances of arduous trekking from days before at height.
“The appropriate cause of death for me to return is 1A high-altitude pulmonary edema expressed in medical terms. That narrative conclusion will identify and conclude that Kellinu Portelli died as a result of high-altitude sickness while trekking in Nepal.”
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