Noel Hanna death in Himalayas: Wife Lynne says - 'He fell asleep never to awaken again... it was his time to go... what better place for my Mountain Man'
The loving wife of epic Co Down mountaineer Noel Hanna has revealed on social media that she has arrived in “Kathmandu to bring Noel home”.
Mr Hanna, 56, died on Monday while returning from Annapurna’s 8,091-metre summit in the Himalayas.
The 10th highest mountain in the world, it is deadlier than Everest and considered one of the most technically difficult mountains because of its steep routes.
Noel had climbed Everest 10 times. He lived in Dromore in Co Down with his wife Lynne, with whom he scaled Everest in 2016.
In her post yesterday, which is accompanied by a joyful picture of the couple, Lynne Hanna said that Noel “passed away at Camp 4 on Annapurna after a successful summit”.
Clarifying how Noel died, she says that “he returned to the tent took some hot soup and fell asleep never to awaken again no drama no big story, it was his time to go and he died in the Himalayas what better place for my Mountain Man sleep well Noel”.
Her comments received over 380 messages of condolences, in a wide variety of languages from across the world.
One climber, idenitifed only as Rich Mc, said he met Noel when he came wandering over for a chat at Everest Base Camp in 2021.
He said Noel was “such a great guy and down to earth. We shared a similar background and ended up getting along very well … we were coming down from our successful Everest summit when he was on his way up … we swapped congratulations and good luck messages”.
Later on, he said, everyone took the mickey out of Noel “when he couldn’t feed himself in the hotel back in Kathmandu due to his frostbite”. He said that Noel had “initiated the banter, as was his way” and added that “he will be missed by many”.
Michelle Engelbrecht from Cape Town said she was “so shocked to read about the passing of your incredible husband” whom she described as “a true legend and an inspiration to many”.
Greg Clarke from Belfast added: “I have never met anyone like Noel nor am I likely to again. I can't beleive he is not there, I always felt he was indestructible but he went in the right place, just a bit too soon.”