Fact Check

FAKE: Video of body retrieved from Mt Everest is not Cheruiyot Kirui’s

A video circulating online claiming that the body of the late mountaineer Cheruiyot Kirui was retrieved from Mt. Everest is fake. (Photo: Courtesy)

By Manny Anyango | Monday, May 27, 2024

Kirui died on May 23, 2024, while attempting to climb Mt. Everest without supplementary oxygen.

Kirui died on May 23, 2024, while attempting to climb Mt. Everest without supplementary oxygen.A video circulating online claiming that the body of the late mountaineer Cheruiyot Kirui was retrieved from Mt. Everest is fake.

The video, which was shared by an X user-Boss Yator-claimed that Kirui’s body was being retrieved by a helicopter.

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Yator captioned the fake video: “The body of Cheruiyot Kirui being retrieved from Mount Everest.” The video has since received 48,000 views.

The body of Cheruiyot Kirui being retrieved from Mount Everest. pic.twitter.com/Seq2LhEqjf
— 𝙱𝚘𝚜𝚜 𝚈𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛☚ (@Bossyator) May 26, 2024

In the video, a helicopter is seen carrying a mountaineer’s body, which is later received by fellow climbers, who embrace them.

Another fake video by an X user, South Africa Boyz, also claimed that "Body of Kenyan Climber Cheruiyot Kirui on Mount Everest. RIP CHAMP'"

Posted on May 26, 2024, the video garnered 229,000 views, 671 retweets, and 1,400 likes.

Following a reverse search of the images from the video, the Eastleigh Voice ascertained that the video was first shared by Mountain Trekking via Instagram on May 24, 2023, captioned: “Long line Rescue in Everest.”

Further, Abdi Trek also shared it on November 3, 2023.

Kirui died on May 23, 2024, while attempting to climb Mt. Everest without supplementary oxygen.

His body was found a few metres below the summit point of Mt Everest.

The Kenyan athlete and KCB banker had been out of contact at a point known as Bishop Rock, just a few metres below the summit.

At 8,849 metres, Everest's summit has roughly one-third the air pressure of sea level, significantly reducing a climber's oxygen intake and making the ascent extremely dangerous.

Kirui's close hiking friend, Kipkemoi Limo, told the BBC that he died from a fall. He added that his family and friends are enquiring whether Kirui gave consent to be buried on Everest or whether he wished for his body to be repatriated to Kenya, which will cost approximately Sh29,000,000 ($190,000).