On May 13, 1999, Michael Matthews became the youngest British climber to stand on Mount Everest. He was only 22 years old. Three hours later, on the descent, he simply vanished. Michael was the 162nd person to die on Everest.

High Aspirations

Michael Matthews was born in 1977 into a wealthy British family. He studied at Uppingham, a respected public school in England, where he discovered climbing. Michael scaled Mount Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua, as well as peaks in the Swiss Alps and the Pyrenees. People who knew him said it was in his nature to accept challenges.

When a friend dropped a magazine article on his desk about Everest, it planted the seed in Michael’s mind to tackle the world’s highest mountain.

Professionally, Michael was a successful options trader, but his passion for the outdoors remained strong.

The 1999 Everest Expedition

In 1999, Michael felt ready to make an attempt on Everest. He signed up with the UK-based company Out There Trekking (OTT). The cost approached $40,000, which covered travel logistics, gear, oxygen, guides and a Sherpa support crew. Michael joined 12 other climbers including his friend Mike Everett. His father initially planned to participate as well but withdrew due to health reasons.

The path to the top was on the standard southeast route, with guide Mike Smith leading Michael. The whole expedition team was spread across the mountain due to different paces for the participants. Michael struggled on the ascent, reaching the Hillary Step (28,839 feet/8,790 meters) with his guide around 2PM. And by the time they neared the top, about two hours later, an approaching weather front was threatening the team.

Michael reached the summit on May 13, 1999. At age 22, he became the youngest Briton to summit Mount Everest.

However, Michael and his guide were exhausted, and storms were incoming.

Michael’s Disappearance

As Michael and Smith began descending, a blizzard hit. The storm caused white out conditions. Smith went ahead of Michael, arrived at a location known as the Balcony and changed his oxygen. He waited for Michael there, but Michael never showed up.

Smith radioed senior guide Nick Kekus for help, but Kekus responded the weather was too severe to mount a search. Smith waited for an hour before abandoning Michael, to preserve his own life. Smith later explained, “I had to make a decision: do I stay there and wait ad infinitum and fall asleep and never wake up, or go down?”

No one saw Michael again.

David Matthews received a call the next morning saying Michael was missing, presumed dead. Initially, he was told that “everything possible had been done.” However, David said that though there were 35 Sherpas on the expedition, no organized rescue attempt was made.

Michael is believed to have perished somewhere between the South Summit (28,700 ft / 8,748 m) and the Balcony (27,500 ft / 8,380 m).

Oxygen Trouble?

Two months later after Michael’s disappearance, David got a call from another climber, John Crellin, who said oxygen systems on the mountain had failed. Canadian climbers on the same trip echoed that claim. They alleged that some oxygen bottles were hybrids requiring frequent fixes.

A lawsuit was filed by the Matthew’s family against guide Mike Smith, OTT, and others. The complaint claims that the expedition had promised Poisk systems, regarded by many as top-tier, but instead used LSE cylinders that required adapters. These adapters didn’t always fit well and had to be filed down to force a match, risking leaks or unreliable flow.

David Matthews also believed more could have been done given the large team with Sherpa support. He questioned why rescue protocols never mobilized. “What we have found out is that nobody has any responsibility for the people who take expeditions up Everest,” he stated. The family’s legal actions accuse the defendants of failing to provide robust equipment and safe oversight.

“Some will suggest that we’re wealthy people who want to make people suffer for the death of our son,” David said. “But our boy died, we’ve looked into the reasons why, as most loving families would do, and we believe this is a shocking tale of deceit, desertion, and a cover-up.”

The guides denied these claims. They insisted the equipment worked and that they had warned Michael about the dangers. They cited severe storms, extreme altitude, and the inherent risk of the climb. The British Mountain Guides association later cleared two OTT guides of professional misconduct. Out of court settlements followed, with no admission of liability.

2017 Photograph

In 2017, the Matthews family received a photograph of a body on Everest, possibly wearing clothing like Michael’s. This stirred the idea that maybe, 20 years later, they could still bring Michael home.

Spencer Matthews, Michael’s younger brother, turned to Bear Grylls, a family friend and well-known adventurer, for advice. The pair had met years earlier, when Grylls spoke at Spencer’s school. He told Bear that he wanted to climb Everest himself and try to find Michael. However, Grylls convinced him to stay at Base Camp to coordinate a search from safer ground.

The “Finding Michael” Documentary

In 2023, Spencer’s journey became the film Finding Michael on Disney+.

Determined to bring him home, Spencer forms a team that includes experienced Sherpas, drone operators, and advice from Bear Grylls. Despite combing Everest’s Death Zone, they failed to find Michael’s body. Instead, Spencer realized the photograph had likely shown a different climber.

In the process, the team managed to recover the remains of a local Nepali guide, offering closure for that family. Spencer stated, “If we failed to find Mike, we could still make a difference to someone else.” In that spirit, they brought the Sherpa home to rest.

In the end, Spencer accepts that Everest is a place where not every question finds an answer.

May Michael rest in peace.