Climber Edmund Hillary, Everest Pioneer, Dies at 88

Published January 10, 2008 at 5:45 PM CST

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New Zealand-born mountaineer Edmund Hillary prepares for his successful attempt to be the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest in Nepal, in May 1953.

The first man to summit Mount Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary, has died. He was 88.

In 1953, Hillary — a beekeeper by trade — and his team reached the mountain's south peak. But, exhausted by the altitude, most team members could go no farther. Only Hillary and a native Nepalese climber, Tenzing Norgay, continued on.

David Breashears, a fellow climber, talks with Robert Siegel about the life of his friend, Sir Edmund Hillary. Breashears says Hillary initially gained fame for the climb, but afterward, he dedicated much of his life to supporting the Sherpas in the Himalayas.