A 27-year-old man, out on his dream solo bike trip to Leh-Ladakh, passed away in the high-altitude cold desert region due to oxygen deficiency.
According to a Times of India report, Chinmay Sharma, a digital marketing executive at a Noida-based firm, had left for a trip to Leh on August 22. However, four days later, on August 26, Chinmay complained of a headache and informed his father about it too.
Chinmay’s father advised his only child to take rest and seek medical attention.
Later in the day, according to the TOI report, the 27-year-old told his father that he was facing difficulty in breathing.
Concerned, the father called Chinmay’s hotel in Leh and requested that they take his son to the hospital. The couple rushed to Leh from their hometown in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzzafarnagar.
However, on August 29, the TOI report said, the 27-year-old died during treatment, just hours before Chinmay’s parents reached Leh.
Chinmay’s parents are teachers in Muzzafarnagar.
What is high-altitude sickness?
Leh, situated at an altitude of 10,000 feet, is a high-altitude desert region. To prevent high-altitude sickness, it is advisable to acclimatise for a minimum of three days.
High-altitude sickness or “mountain sickness” occurs when the body struggles to adjust to lower oxygen levels at high elevations. The symptoms of High-altitude sickness include headache, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue.
Symptoms typically develop within 12 to 24 hours after reaching a higher altitude and generally improve within a day or two as the body acclimatizes to the altitude change.
There are three types of altitude sickness: Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), which is the mildest form; High-Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), a more severe form of AMS; and High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), which can rapidly become life-threatening.
Notably, anyone can develop altitude sickness, no matter how fit, young, or healthy they are.