2 Dead Amid Human Traffic Jam on World's Tallest Mountain
CABRERA: Welcome back. This afternoon there are concerns that overcrowding on Mount Everest may be to blame for at least two deaths. Both climbers reached Mount Everest's summit but died on their way down after getting stuck in a traffic jam of people who were waiting to summit the world's highest mountain. One climber's chilling photo shows the line of people waiting on an exposed ridge. He estimates there were 320 people in that line. Officials for Nepal's Tourism Department called suggestions that a traffic jam contributed to the deaths baseless. Jim Davidson has summitted Mount Everest. He has 37 years of experience as a high-altitude climber. Jim, do you agree that the connection between these deaths and the overcrowding is baseless?</s>JIM DAVIDSON, HIGH-ATLTITUDE CLIMBER: I would say that the crowding causes an acceleration of other factors. But people don't die of overcrowding or slowness. When things go a little wrong, the overcrowding does make things more conflicted up high.</s>CABRERA: Is a traffic jam on Mount Everest normal?</s>DAVIDSON: Sadly, it's becoming more frequent now. Twenty years ago, no, it wasn't normal. These days it is more common. And when we have a bad weather day it really compresses everyone into the same day. And then that kind of overcrowding and traffic jam is a normal occurrence, unfortunately.</s>CABRERA: Why has it become more of a normal occurrence when it didn't used to be?</s>DAVIDSON: Well, there's more people going to the mountain now. People from all over the world. And Mount Everest is an amazing place. It inspires people to go there. Unfortunately, we all wind up there at the same time because of the annual weather cycle. And if we have rough weather in May, everyone's going for the summit on the same days. It's almost like everyone trying to go to the beach right on a national holiday. We're all there at once, unfortunately, and we get in each other's way.</s>CABRERA: I've read the book, "Into Thin Air" I climbed Mount Hood. That's my mountain-climbing experience and understanding. You have actually had to do mountain rescues before. Given your experience and knowledge of how all this works, talk about the challenges of trying to help somebody when, suddenly, things go wrong, they need help, on a mountain like Mount Everest.</s>DAVIDSON: Yes. I've been a rescuer with a number of teams. It's always very challenging because it's cold and distant and high. Mount Everest, of course, is the most distant and the highest of all. So it's very difficult to even take care of yourself and check in with your teammates, let alone to take on the extra work of actually rescuing somebody. They used to say until 10 years ago that needing a rescue high on Mount Everest was like being on the dark side of the moon. These days, with better communication and equipment, sometimes we can get people down. But it's still extremely difficult and extremely dangerous for everyone around you.</s>CABRERA: There's debate that Everest has perhaps become over commercialized. That if you have enough means, you can pay for a guided expedition to climb it, giving access to people who maybe aren't well prepared. What's your take on that?</s>DAVIDSON: Yes, I've heard those stories, too. And you know, you do have to prepare very well. It has become more popular here in the states and overseas. And sometimes it lures people in who aren't quite ready. And I think we all need to work together, the clients and the guides and the commercial companies and the Nepali guiding companies and people saying let's make sure people are truly prepared. There's no one thing to make it happen, but we can do several things to prepare people and screen them and cooperate together because it is a dangerous spot. And we're all mushed in together on those few precious summit days.</s>CABRERA: All right, Jim Davidson, I appreciate your insight this. Thank you.</s>DAVIDSON: You're welcome.</s>CABRERA: President Trump defending his attack on Nancy Pelosi. And the latest response from Facebook about a doctored video used to question Speaker Pelosi's mental state. Why the company says it will stay up.