Originally from Hawaii, she was not obsessed with seeking adventure or extreme sports. Everything changed when she married a Russian, Sergei Arsentiev. It was the “snow leopard”, as he was called, who infected her with a passion for climbing and soon they started climbing peaks together.
She conquered an eight-thousander as the first American woman in history. She never returned from the expedition
When Francys had already had considerable mountain experience, the couple began planning their next trip together. They wanted to do something that would go down in history forever. Their goal was to conquer Mount Everest, but without using additional oxygen. It was a huge challenge, the temperature at the top reaches up to 40 degrees below zero. Moreover, as altitude increases, the amount of oxygen consumed decreases, which in turn leads to ailments such as: swelling of the lungs, brain or blood clots. However, their fears became their motivation. After several months of preparations, they finally felt ready to start the expedition. On May 22, 1998, they stood on the highest peak on Earth, realizing another and, as it later turned out, last dream.
While the ascent was a success, the descent was a real challenge. The situation was also made worse by difficult weather conditions, which forced the couple to spend another night at an altitude of over 8,000 meters above sea level. It is not known what happened along the way, because on May 23, Sergei woke up in the camp, but Francys was not with him. Concerned, he set out with a group of climbers to look for her. They probably managed to find her and even bring her down a bit, but they did not have enough strength to continue the rescue operation and left her attached to the rope.
The husband of “Sleeping Beauty Everest” set out to save her. He was considered missing for a decade
Sergei reached the camp, which was outside the death zone, but he was unable to return without his wife, especially since their son was waiting for them at home. That same evening, climbers saw him coming again. On May 24, the Uzbeks again encountered Francys. A rope belonging to Sergei lay nearby, but there was no trace of the man. They tried to save him, but in vain. She was in an agony state, delirious, and even giving oxygen did not change anything. Apparently she only uttered three sentences: “Don’t leave me”, “Why are you doing this to me” and “I am an American”. After bringing her as low as conditions would allow, they decided to return to the camp without her.
Francys, 40, died while pinned to a rope. Her body remained in the mountains, becoming a kind of signpost for climbers on their way to the top. It was only in May 2007 that Ian Woodal decided to give the “Sleeping Beauty of Everest”, as she was nicknamed, a symbolic funeral, moving the body to a slightly less frequented place. A year later, the mystery of the disappearance of Sergei Arsentiev was also solved. The climber was accidentally found in a mountain crevasse. The body had injuries from a fall, which was most likely the cause of death.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
