No Hong-chul Collapses from Altitude Sickness During Himalayan Climb

Television personality No Hong-chul recently experienced a serious incident while climbing in the Himalayas, suffering from altitude sickness. On January 23, his YouTube channel released a video titled 'No Hong-chul Almost Died: Public Health Officer in the Himalayas (Lee Si-young, Kwon Eun-bi Crying)', showcasing his journey to Nepal alongside actress Lee Si-young and singer Kwon Eun-bi, whom he became close with during his participation in the Netflix show Zombieverse.

In the video, No Hong-chul began to show signs of confusion at an altitude of 3,200 meters, followed by drowsiness and nosebleeds, ultimately leading to him collapsing. He was transported to base camp, where tests confirmed he was suffering from altitude sickness.

Lying in bed, No Hong-chul appeared weak and struggled to keep his eyes open. A trekking guide advised him to drink hot water and brought ginger tea, which is known to help alleviate altitude sickness symptoms, but he refused, saying he couldn't eat or drink.

After five hours, his condition improved slightly, and he recounted, "I lost consciousness for a moment. When I woke up in the morning and started walking, my condition deteriorated rapidly. I felt a tremendous bubbling in my stomach after eating something repeatedly."

He added, "I have no memory of the last 2.9 kilometers to the accommodation. I was in and out of consciousness and felt faint. I was then hurriedly carried back to bed, where someone came to massage my body and check on my condition."

However, the symptoms of altitude sickness returned the next day. No Hong-chul attempted to continue climbing, stating that he was only 4 kilometers from the summit, but his hands turned white due to poor blood circulation. Realizing he could not continue, he ultimately decided to descend on horseback.

He expressed, "It's fascinating. I wasn't in my right mind up there, but as I descended, I felt my condition improving. I was told that going lower than the previous accommodation would help, so I descended about 300 meters further."

Altitude sickness occurs when ascending to high altitudes where oxygen levels are low, typically above 3,000 meters. Symptoms include headaches, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. If symptoms worsen, it can lead to decreased consciousness, and without treatment within 12 hours, it can result in a coma.

To prevent altitude sickness, it is crucial to allow the body to acclimatize before starting a climb. Some climbers take diuretics like Diamox or steroids like dexamethasone 2-3 days prior to their ascent. The Himalayan Rescue Association recommends taking 125 mg of Diamox twice daily.