An Iraq veteran who summited Mount Everest on Tuesday was the second combat amputee in a week to climb the world’s highest mountain.
Chad Jukes, 32, lost his leg in a roadside bomb while serving in the Army and climbed Everest wearing a prosthesis, USA Today reported. Thomas Charles “Charlie” Linville, 30, summited the mountain on Thursday. Linville, who had his right foot amputated, was the first combat-wounded veteran to reach the summit of Mount Everest, according to the Heroes Project, an organization that leads veterans and active service members on mountain expeditions.
Jukes was part of a climbing group sponsored by U.S. Expeditions and Explorations, aiming to raise awareness about military suicides and post-traumatic stress disorder. His team also included two active-duty Army officers, Army Times reported.
Read more: Mount Everest Climber: ‘Don’t Try to Reach the Summit at All Costs’
As the 2016 climbing season nears its end, climbers also suffered a deadly weekend on the summit as three people died, two went missing and about 30 become sick or contracted frostbite.
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