[ad_1]
KUALA LUMPUR: Environmental activist and mountaineer Ramakrishnan Ramasamy died yesterday of a heart attack. He was 55 years old.
According to his friend Dilip Martin, Ramakrishnan died last night in Brinchang, Cameron Highlands.
He was the first national climber to reach the summit of Annapurna IV in Nepal, and was included as a member of the team that reached the top of Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. However, he did not climb Everest due to a frostbite injury to Annapurna.
In later years he was president of the Cameron Highlands Regional Environmental Awareness, a member of Malaysia International Search and Rescue, as well as the Malaysia Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association.
His teammate M Magendran, the first Malaysian to reach the top of Mount Everest, said Ramakrishnan was a dedicated and talented man.
“He was a very experienced hiker and mountaineer. During the pre-expedition training in 1996, about 20 climbers had split into two groups, I was in the India group, he was in the Nepal group.
“He was successful in his attempt to become the first and only Malaysian to conquer the Annapurna IV in 1996. Unfortunately, he suffered a foot injury and frostbite, for which he had to receive treatment in Malaysia.
“He finally managed to join us in Kathmandu after obtaining clearance from the Malaysian doctor, but did not get permission from a Nepalese doctor to climb. I’m very sure that he would have reached the top as well if it had been allowed, he was a very strong climber and was active in climbing activities, ”he told Bernama.
Another national Everest hero, N Mohandas, described Ramakrishnan as a very strong person mentally and physically and not easily discouraged.
