David Breashears | |
|---|---|
 Breashears in 2011 | |
| Born | (1955-12-20)December 20, 1955 Fort Benning, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | March 14, 2024(2024-03-14) (aged 68) |
| Occupations |
|
| Notable work | Everest |
David Finlay Breashears (December 20, 1955 – March 14, 2024) was an Americanmountaineer, filmmaker, author and motivational speaker.[1] In 1985, he reached the summit ofMount Everest a second time, becoming the first American to reach the summit ofMount Everest more than once.
He was the director and cinematographer ofEverest (1998), which became the highest-grossing IMAX documentary at the time of its release. During the film's production, he assisted in rescue efforts during the1996 Everest disaster.[2][3][4]
Breashears was born on December 20, 1955 inFort Benning, Georgia, the son of aUnited States Army officer.[5]
In 1983, Breashears transmitted the first live pictures from the summit of Mount Everest, and in 1985, he became the first American to reach its summit more than once. Breashears made eight expeditions to Everest, reaching the summit five times.[6]
Breashears also climbed to the summit of 24,494 ft (7,466 m)Ama Dablam in theHimalayas, and is known in climbing circles for havingfree-climbed some of the most technically challenging rock walls inColorado as a young man. Hisfirst free ascent, andon-sight, of the largely unprotectedtraditional climbing routePerilous Journey5.11b X on Eldorado Mountain in 1975, was one of the boldest ascents of the 1970s.[4]
In 1985, Breashears guidedRichard Bass to the summit of Everest; with this, Bass completed the first-ever ascent of theSeven Summits (the highest summit on each of the seven continents).[7][8]
Breashears also worked on feature films includingCliffhanger (1993) andSeven Years in Tibet (1997), as well asDavid Lee Roth's "Just Like Paradise" music video and numerous documentaries, such as the award-winning TV documentaryRed Flag over Tibet.[5][9][10] He received fourEmmy awards for achievement in cinematography.[11][when?]
Combining his interests and skills in climbing, filmmaking, and photography, he directed, starred in, and produced the acclaimedIMAX filmEverest (1998), and contributed still photos to the best selling bookEverest: Mountain Without Mercy (1997).[12] He also produced the first live audio Webcast from Everest's summit for theNova television program,Everest: The Death Zone (1998).[13] Additionally, Breashears made the filmKilimanjaro: To the Roof of Africa (2002).[5]
Breashears' documentary film,Storm Over Everest (May 13, 2008),[14] shown on PBSFrontline, features photography on the mountain, interviews with survivors of the three climbing teams that were caught in the1996 storm, and music composed byJocelyn Pook. During the filming of the documentary in 2006, Breashears summitted Everest a fifth time. He also documented his personal reactions to climbing Everest again, while filming theNova documentary, in "Epilogue to the 1996 Everest disaster".[15]
Breashears was the author of several books, including an autobiography,High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places (1999).[4]
Breashears also wrote the article, "Every Man For Himself?", published inAmerican Alpine Journal (1988).[16]
Breashears was a director of Destination Himalaya, a travel firm specializing inadventure travel to Himalayan countries.[17]
In 2007, Breashears founded GlacierWorks, a non-profit company that uses science, art, and adventure to raiseawareness about climate change in the Greater Himalaya.[18]
Breashears was married to fellow adventurer Veronique Choa in 1986.[5] They divorced, and Breashears lived inMarblehead, Massachusetts when not climbing. He died at his home in Marblehead on March 14, 2024, at the age of 68.[5][19][13]
