Kenwood man survives avalanche on Everest

Kenwood resident Jon Reiter has survived an avalanche on Mount Everest which happened after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the area. Reiter, a custom home builder, has successfully climbed six of the seven summits of Mount Everest. Reiter was climbing the mountain with his climbing partner, Moises Nava, when the earthquake struck, “the ground shook for a very long time and…avalanches were happening one right after another on the mountain,” says Reiter’s wife, Susan, who reported that Reiter was OK after a phone call at 12:05 AM this morning.

Reiter reported the the majority of the base camp he was staying at was damaged and that tents were being used as temporary medical facilities. Approximately 800 people were at the camp at the time the earthquake struck. A injury and death count remains unknown. Reiter and Nava remain onsite and are assisting with rescue efforts. In 2014, Reiter was on Mount Everest when the Khumbu Icefall avalanche killed 16 Sherpa guides.

Santa Rosa resident Scott Holder, who was at a different base camp, also survived the avalanche.