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City tycoon is killed trying to snowboard 24,600ft peak
Last updated at 23:22pm on 24.07.07A city tycoon has died during an attempt to snowboard down one of the world's highest mountains.
Jonathan Peacock, 39, a millionaire IT entrepreneur, was trying to conquer Mustagata, a remote 24,600ft mountain in China.
The father of two, from Runcorn, Cheshire, was found unconscious on 13 July.
Attempts to revive him failed and he died in his tent of an apparent heart attack, according to Chinese authorities.
He had earlier turned back from his summit attempt after suffering from suspected altitude sickness - the life-threatening illness caused by the lack of oxygen in the air.
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Family man: Mr Peacock with one of his children. He died during an attempt to snowboard down Mustagata, a remote 24,600ft mountain in China
His wife Katherine, 34, said he was extremely fit and used to running marathons.
She said: "It's just a massive shock. I'm devastated for the loss of my husband and am so sorry that my children will not have the most wonderful father around them."
Writing on the expedition team's website, leader Arnold Coster, said: "It all seems very unreal what happened. Everything was going fine and then tragedy happened.
"Normally you see a problem coming, but this time it struck the camp like lightning."
Mr Peacock ascended to Camp 1 on the mountain on July 8 but found the going tough and returned to Base Camp the following day, Mr Coster said.
"Suddenly he became chronically fatigued. Our first thoughts were that he had acquired altitude sickness, but his lungs and oxygen situation were fine.
"Somehow he was very weak. At this time we made the decision to send him back to Kashgar." He added:
"We sat and had dinner with him on Thursday, July 12, in the dining tent. Jon drank and ate more than he had been able to during the past few days.
"He talked about his home and his plans for his future. He said he hoped to work for two to three days a week, so he could still spend a lot of time with his family."
The tycoon made his fortune last year after selling his company Evolution, a technology consultancy firm. He owned a riverside apartment in London but recently moved back to Cheshire, the area of his birth, where he lived with his wife and two children, a three-yearold son and a daughter, one.
Mrs Peacock added: "Jon didn't take any chances. He didn't want to climb Everest as he thought it too dangerous. But he really wanted to snowboard down Mustagata.
"He was very adventurous - we both loved scuba diving and dived together for our honeymoon in the Galapagos in 2002."
The businessman was part of an expedition which included four British women known as the Lipstick-Blondes, who were trying to make the first all-female ski descent of the mountain.
Mustagata in Xinjiang, China is popular with ski mountaineers for its relatively easy gradient. But there is no mountain rescue because of its remote location.
• A British woman died in a climbing accident in the French Alps on Monday. She and three others were trying to reach the summit of Mont Blanc but ran into serious trouble on the Bionnassay Ridge, at a height of 13,300ft.
Reader views (1)
Here's a sample of the latest views published. You can click view all to read all views that readers have sent in.
I met Jon a few years ago when he interviewed me for a job at Evolution. He was a very likeable and intelligent guy and it was clear that he had the respect of his colleagues and had built a successful business with a dedicated team. My condolences go out to his family, friends, and colleagues.
- Chris Newland, Herts, UK
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