Peter Kinloch on Elbrus in 2007

A British climber has died on Everest after he went blind during his attempt.

Peter Kinloch, who worked as a civilian for Merseyside Police, had successfully summited the mountain from the Tibetan side last Tuesday, but died the following day after a desperate 12-hour mission to save his life failed.

The 28-year-old, originally from Skye, was reported to be in good spirits by his team during the ascent – as part of a 20-strong expedition – and was ‘elated, cheery and bubbly’ on reaching the summit, in windy conditions.

His expedition guides said he then seemed to lose his co-ordination while on the descent, resulting in a few slips and stumbles. When the group reached the Second Step, Peter asked for help descending the ladders because he was having difficulty seeing.

He then told his team he could see nothing – a condition he admitted had struck him before, but never while mountaineering. The guides stressed it was not snowblindness and he was not in pain from the conditions.

Three Sherpas then reascended from Camp Three to assist him and his team. David O’Brien, who was leading the team, and Jangbu spent hours getting the British climber to Mushroom Rock at 8,300m (27,230ft).

Two other Sherpas then joined them and an examination of Mr Kinloch revealed he had frostbitten fingers. He was not, however, exhibiting signs of high-altitude cerebral oedema, which is a fatal condition that affects climbers at altitude.

Despite administering drugs to counter acute high-altitude sickness and 12-hours’ of effort to help the Briton down from the mountain, the team was forced to retreat and leave him on the mountain, coming close to losing their own lives, according to their report on Everest News.

A statement said: “It is with our deepest regrets that we report the passing of Peter Kinloch, who was a bright spark in our team, and he is missed very much. At this very sad moment, we send our sincere condolences, thoughts and prayers, to his family, loved ones, friends, and colleagues.”

Peter Kinloch

Mr Kinloch was attempting the Seven Summits – the highest mountains on each continent – in order to raise awareness for OCD Action, a charity that works for people with obsessive compulsive disorder.

He had already summited Mount Elbrus, Aconcagua, Denali, and Kilimanjaro and had also completed the Oggie 8 Challenge in support of the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation last year.

He was a graduate of Liverpool John Moores University and held a PhD in information systems and geographic information systems. He was an enthusiastic supporter of Inverness Caledonian Thistle and wore a team hat on each of his summit attempts.