Montreal Fire Department Captain, Serge Dessureault, was killed early this morning while leading an international mountaineering expedition on K2 in Pakistan. At 8,611 metres above sea level, K2 is the second highest mountain in the world after Mount Everest and is considered to be one of the the world’s most difficult climbs.
This was Dessureault's second attempt at K2 and he was leading the nine-member “K2-Broad Peak” expedition when, according to a post on Facebook, he lost his footing and fell near the mountain's CAMP-2 at an altitude of roughly 6,700 metres.
Dessureault’s body was brought to K2's advance base camp and will be transported to Islamabad. It's unclear when his body will be returned to Canada.
The father of two was an accomplished outdoor adventurer who has been featured in reality shows on television station TVA, as well as in the Journal de Montréal .
Dessureault was stationed at Montreal's Fire Station 19, located at 2000 Avenue De Lorimier in the Ville-Marie borough, where a makeshift memorial has been established and the station's flag has been lowered in his honour.