Andrew Michael "Andy" Harris was a mountaineer from New Zealand who went missing during the 1996 avalanche on Mount Everest.
Early Life[]
Andy Harris, also known as "Harold," was born on 29 September 1964 to Ron and Marry Harris in New Zealand. He had an older brother named Danny Harris.
When he was younger, Harris attended the Catholic all-boys Francis Douglas Memorial College in New Plymouth, New Zealand. During winter months, he worked as a helicopter skiing guide and during the summer months, he escorted climbers into New Zealand's Southern Alps. Between the summer of 1987 and 1992, Harris was a field leader for the New Zealand Antarctic Research Program and worked with scientists conducting archaeological research in Antarctica.
In 1985, Harris climbed the Chobuste Peak at 6690 meters; this peak is close to Mount Everest and is described as "difficult".
At the time of his disappearance and presumed death, he was dating a physician named Fiona McPherson, and the two were building a house in the hills outside of Queenstown, New Zealand. In the fall of 1994, the two opened a medical clinic that primarily treated altitude-related sickness.
1996 Mount Everest Disaster[]
In April-May 1996, Harris was part of the Adventure Consultants' Everest expedition 1996. He was one of three guides; the other two were Rob Hall and Mike Groom. They guided eight clients: Frank Fischbeck, Doug Hansen, Stuart Hutchison, Lou Kasischke, Jon Krakauer, Yasuko Namba, John Taske, and Beck Weathers.
Harris suffered from multiple gastrointestinal attacks at the lodge in Lobuje, Nepal, while the party was preparing to go to Base Camp. Harris proceeded to Base Camp with the rest of the party on 8 April 1996, despite other's insistence that he stayed one more night at the lodge.
On 8 May, Harris was struck in the chest by a boulder that was the size of a small TV. Harris continued to climb, but he realized how lucky he was; if the boulder hit his head, he would have been killed. After midnight on 10 May, the Adventure Consultants expedition began a summit attempt from Camp IV.
Harris, Anatoli Boukreev, and Krakauer reached the top of Mount Everest at about 1:12 PM. As they began to descend, Krakauer asked Harris if he could turn off his oxygen to save it. Harris complied but accidentally turned the oxygen up. Harris checked some oxygen canisters near the Southeast Ridge and falsely stated they were all empty. At this point, it has been speculated, but not proven, that he was suffering from hypoxia. Krakauer, also possibly suffering from hypoxia, believed he encountered Harris on the ridge above Camp IV. He reportedly fell over the ridge to camp, got back up, and stumbled on his way back to camp. After returning, Krakauer told everyone at camp that Harris safely returned. However, he may have encountered Martin Adams, a client from the Mountain Madness expedition. On the morning of 11 May, the climbers realized Harris was missing after a camp search.
Several days later, Harris' ice axe and jacket were found near Hall's. Before Hall's death, he said Harris was with him. It is now believed Harris attempted to aid Hall and Hansen when they were trapped higher up in the mountains when the storm came in.
By the end of 11 May, eight people, four people from the Adventure Consultants' Everest expedition, one from the Mountain Madness expedition, and three members of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, were killed.
Aftermath[]
After the disaster, Krakauer wrote a magazine article and then a book on what happened. He wrote that his own "actions – or failure to act – played a direct role in the death of Andy Harris".
For Harris' efforts to rescue Hall and Hansen, he was posthumously awarded the New Zealand Bravery Star, the second-level civil decoration of New Zealand, in 1999.
Harris Peak, a 1,750-meter peak at Victoria Land, Antarctica, was named after Harris in 1998 after the New Zealand Geographic Board.
During a PBS interview, Gus Cotters and Weathers recalled Harris.
Cotters said, "Andy Harris was a fun-loving, strong guy. I knew him from working at Mount Cook here in New Zealand, in the mountains. He was a guide who had a great love of life. He was a strong, lovable, slap-on-the-back sort of guy with whom you could have a good laugh. Andy was the sort of guy who would make everybody around him feel that they were in good hands. He was the sort of guy that you ended up developing a good fondness for. And whilst I wasn't on the expedition, this expedition in '96, I could tell from the little time that I spent with him before them going that Andy was one of the team and that he was starting to perform well as a high-altitude guide and that he had the affection and respect of the other members of the team."
Weathers said, "Andy may have lacked Himalayan experience, but he did have much experience in New Zealand. And so, he certainly had the skill set that was required. He also was really strong; he was a guy who was willing. He was an optimistic, enjoyable, upbeat fellow. Andy ultimately proved he had the kind of character and what it took to be a superb guide. Ultimately, in a truly heroic effort, he will give his life to try to save Doug. That says everything you need to know about what kind of guy he was. And he was caught up in it. He went back and kept cranking, trying to save him."
Francis Douglas Memorial College held a special tribute in Harris' honor in 2010. His parents and brother made an appearance. Ron commented about his son's death, "We're just grateful for the way our son died. We are very sad but also very proud."
Sources[]
- Andy Harris on Wikipedia
- 1996 Mount Everest disaster on Wikipedia
- Into Thin Air
- Stuff.co.nz
- PBS