The body of Mr Harry Tan, a former lecturer at the National Institute of Education (NIE), was found near Mount Everest on Friday (4 Oct) after a week of search and rescue operations.
The 76-year-old Singaporean had gone missing on 26 Sept while hiking on Mount Everest.
Friends of Mr Tan told The Straits Times (ST) that he had fallen off a cliff. Efforts to retrieve the deceased’s body are underway.
MS News has reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) for more information.
Mr Raj Tamang, a Nepali who grew up in Singapore and a friend of Mr Tan’s, told ST that he had “been in shock for the last nine days”.
“I thought if anyone could survive this, it was Harry,” said the 58-year-old founder of trekking company Responsible Adventures.
Mr Tamang, who had hiked Mount Everest with Mr Tan back in 2019, described the former teacher as an “extraordinary person who was very fit for his age”.
He also added that Mr Tan’s recent trip to the world’s highest mountain was likely his third one.
Following the news of his passing, many of Mr Tan’s former students and friends took to social media to express their condolences.
One such individual was Jalan Besar Member of Parliament (MP) Wan Rizal. He and Mr Tan had crossed paths during his Physical Education (PE) teacher training at NTU-NIE.
In a Facebook post, MP Wan Rizal described Mr Tan as a man of “immense passion, strength, and spirit”, and said that he had inspired many.
“Thank you, Harry, for your impact on our lives,” he said.
Meanwhile, another former student of Mr Tan’s also reflected on their moments together.
“You have been a teacher I have always wanted to be,” he said in a separate Facebook post.
“You have my endorsement that you are my great teacher Harry Tan Sir. Till we meet again.”
Also read: 76-year-old S’porean missing on Mount Everest, search & rescue operations ongoing
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Featured image adapted from Facebook and Getty Images.
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