American climber dies while attempting to scale Nepal's Mount Makalu

KATHMANDU, Nepal — An American climber died while attempting to scale Mount Makalu in Nepal, officials said Tuesday.

Nepal’s Mountaineering Department identified the climber who died Sunday on the slopes of the world's fifth tallest mountain as 39-year-old Alexander Pancoe.

The statement said the climber from Chicago was descending from Camp Three to Camp Two on the mountain when he suffered from cardiac arrest.

Attempts are being made to bring the body down from the mountain to the capital, Kathmandu.

Nepal’s mountaineering season began in March and runs until the end of May, when the monsoon season makes climbing difficult and dangerous. Hundreds of foreign climbers and local guides attempt to scale the high mountain peaks during the season.