A RECOVERY operation of an Irish dad-of-one who fell from the world’s highest mountain may not go ahead due to safety concerns, a leading adventurer and mountaineer believes.

Twice Mount Everest summiteer Pat Falvey, who scaled the Himalayan mountain on two occasions, said it remains unclear how Seamus ‘Shay' Lawless fell some 500 metres as he was descending from the 8,848 metres summit.

2 Seamus vanished after he fell while descending Mount Everest on Thursday

2 The Wicklow man had reached the summit of Mount Everest

The assistant Trinity College professor had successfully reached the summit last Thursday along with several others in his group of eight, led by well known Co Down adventurer Noel Hanna - just hours before he went missing.

Mr Falvey, who runs his business Pat Falvey Adventures from his base in Kerry, said that over the next few days more information surrounding what exactly happened to Mr Lawless will be answered but that “a lot of questions currently remain."

The Cork native, was the first person in the world to complete the Seven Summits twice by climbing Mount Everest from its north and south sides.

The search operation has now been confirmed by the Seven Summits Treks company and by Mr Falvey as a recovery operation.

He said: “If any type of search, rescue and recovery operation is planned it will not go ahead if it is too dangerous to do so.

"Paying to put the lives at risk such as the sherpas should not happen if weather conditions are not conducive to do so.

“Sherpas, who are absolute experts in their field and go out of their way to recover injured and fatally wounded climbers despite the extraordinary dangers, would do so without being paid."

He added: “The fundraising campaign launched to help to locate Mr Lawless is to be commended.

"Unfortunately no insurance company would sponsor you in the event of having a fatal injury.

HORRENDOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS

“It is an unwritten rule in mountaineering and especially in dangerous areas, that remains are often left there as a sign of respect to the person, the sherpas and the mountain.

“It could take weeks for fresh sherpas to carry out a recovery operation.

“There are still 700 people waiting to summit Everest but weather conditions for the past week have been horrendous and it is only now that they are starting to slowly improve.

"The winds alone would zap your energy. So much is stacked against you. It could be weeks before any type of a recovery operation could take place.

“Throughout the past week high winds of 55km and frigid temperatures of -27C with a wind chill, making it feel more like -43C have been persistent."

Meanwhile, Tanaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney speaking on RTÉ’s This Week radio programme said that he had spoken several times to Mr Lawless’s wife Pamela and committed to providing as much help as his Department can.

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He said: “She (Pamela) is a remarkable woman and we will continue to help her.”

Mr Hanna has experienced another tragedy in his climbing career.

In 2011, he was part of a team involved in another Everest summit attempt, where another Irishman and father-of-two John Delaney, 41, from Kilcock, Co Kildare died 50 metres from the Everest summit.

His body remains on the mountain.