27/05/2025
𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞: 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 & 𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 – 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
Xtreme Climbers is issuing this official statement to raise awareness within the mountaineering and travel community regarding a serious breach of agreement and financial misconduct by Bill Shea and his Son, a participant in our International Everest Expedition Spring 2025, and his son, Lucious Shea.
𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
On the expedition, Mr. Shea suffered a critical, life-threatening high-altitude medical emergency at Camp 2 (6,400m). Our field and logistics team responded with utmost urgency, prioritizing safety above all else. In accordance with international high-altitude rescue standards, and under challenging weather conditions, we coordinated a helicopter evacuation from Camp 2 to Everest Base Camp and onward to Kathmandu.
This emergency action was executed with no delay, based on the principle of life before procedure, and a financial Guarantee of Payment (GoP) was issued by our company in good faith to facilitate immediate helicopter dispatch, as required by Civil Aviation Authority protocols and all helicopter operators in Nepal, regardless of insurance or membership status.
𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬
𝐈𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟:
𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐮–𝐋𝐮𝐤𝐥𝐚 (12.April.2025) Reserved.
𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: 𝐄𝐁𝐂–𝐋𝐮𝐤𝐥𝐚-𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐮 (8.May.2025)
𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐮-𝐋𝐮𝐤𝐥𝐚-𝐄𝐁𝐂 (12.May.2025)
𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩 𝟐-𝐁𝐂 (20.May.2025) 2.Suttle
𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐁𝐂-𝐋𝐮𝐤𝐥𝐚-𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐮 (21.May.2025)
𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐮 (9.May.2025)
𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝟱***** 𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐮
All these services were arranged to ensure the safety, recovery, and comfort of the Shea party.
Despite receiving and benefiting from these extensive services, many of which required our team to make financial commitments on their behalf, Mr. Shea has failed to pay the outstanding balance due to the company.
𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Until May 25, Xtreme Climbers covered all hotel accommodation expenses in Kathmandu for Mr. Shea and his son, Mr. Lucious, as part of our post-rescue support. For the nights of May 26 and 27, Mr. Shea personally booked a hotel room under his son’s name and made an advance payment directly to the property.
However, according to hotel management and verified CCTV footage, the Shea party vacated the premises unannounced at approximately 6:15 AM on May 26, without providing any forwarding address or notifying either the hotel, our expedition team, or the Tourist Police. Their abrupt and unreported departure raised immediate concern, and several attempts were made by both our team and the Tourist Police to contact Mr. Shea directly. 𝐍𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝.
Subsequent verification by airport surveillance records and immigration officers confirmed that Mr. Shea and his son arrived at Kathmandu International Airport around 10:00 AM, more than eight hours prior to their scheduled departure flight. This course of action clearly appears to have been a deliberate attempt to avoid communication and circumvent their outstanding financial obligations to the organizing company.
At no point did Mr. Shea notify our company or relevant authorities regarding their departure, despite having unresolved liabilities related to emergency rescue operations, medical care, helicopter services, and related logistical support.
𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲
This conduct constitutes not only a violation of their signed expedition agreement, but also a breach of the mutual trust and ethical standards that are fundamental in high-risk mountaineering operations. Their actions undermine the logistical and financial mechanisms that ensure 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐬 in extreme environments.
𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 & 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫
At Xtreme Climbers, the safety and well-being of our clients is our highest operational priority. High-altitude environments, particularly above 6,000 meters pose unpredictable and extreme risks, including severe weather changes, restricted communications, and life threatening altitude related illnesses.
To ensure the highest standards of safety, our official Safety and Emergency Evacuation Policy is governed by the following principles:
In the event of a serious medical emergency or acute high-altitude illness, our senior mountain guides and Sherpa leadership team are empowered with full professional authority to initiate immediate rescue procedures, with or without direct client consent, if delay may result in significant harm or fatality.
Intentional obstruction, refusal to comply, or lack of responsiveness in emergency scenarios may endanger not only the affected individual but also the entire team. In such cases, our field team will act in the best medical and ethical interest of the client, based on real-time risk analysis and professional judgment.
In accordance with protocols established by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, all helicopter operators require a Guarantee of Payment (GoP) before dispatching any rescue flight. This requirement applies to all emergency evacuations, irrespective of an individual’s insurance coverage or rescue membership affiliation.
It is the sole responsibility of the client to ensure all helicopter, medical, and logistical costs are paid, unless written and confirmed reimbursement is provided directly by the insurance or rescue coverage provider. Our company can. For more details and company legal terms and conditions please do check out official homepage specifically regarding emergency medical evacuation.
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Following multiple failed attempts at communication, and only with the intervention and full cooperation of the Nepal Immigration Office and the Tourist Police, we were ultimately able to recover the remaining dues owed by Mr. Shea and his Son.
However, we must express our disappointment that the situation escalated to a level that required law enforcement and immigration authorities to intervene, an outcome that contradicts the trust, professionalism, and mutual respect we expect in all expedition partnerships.
This incident not only strained operational resources but also diverted attention from other ongoing safety-critical operations. We sincerely hope future clients understand the critical importance of transparency, financial accountability, and post-evacuation cooperation, particularly in the challenging context of high-altitude rescue and logistics.
At Xtreme Climbers, we remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of client care, safety, and ethical expedition practices, and we urge all expedition participants to do the same.
We remain committed to client safety and operational transparency, but we will also take necessary steps to safeguard the integrity of our services and the broader expedition community from such actions.
For clarification or documentation related to this case, please contact our office directly.
Xtreme Climbers Treks & Expeditions P. Ltd.
...
[email protected]
www.xtremeclimbers.com
