Jim Morrison on seeing partner Hilaree Nelson fall to her death: ‘I did everything I could to locate her’

Jim Morrison, the partner of mountaineer Hilaree Nelson, who died after falling from Nepal’s Manaslu, has shared a moving message in tribute to his partner.

“There are no words to describe the love for this woman, my life partner, my lover, my best friend, and my mountain partner. She has been the beacon of light in my life day in and day out,” he wrote on a message on Instagram.

Nelson’s body was by rescue teams in the Nepalese Himalayas on Wednesday morning. The alpine skier had been missing since Monday after falling from Manaslu (8,163 meters), the eighth-highest mountain in the world. She had reached the peak with Morrison, but fell while making her descent.

Morrison, who witnessed what happened, described the events leading up to her death: “On September 26th at 10:42 am we reached the true summit of Manaslu in tough conditions. We quickly transitioned from climbing to skiing in cold and wind with a plan to ski around the corner and regroup with our Sherpa team. I skied first and after a few turns Hilaree followed and started a small avalanche. She was swept off her feet and carried down a narrow snow slope down the south side (opposite from climbing route) of the mountain over 5000′. I did everything I could to locate her, but was unable to go down the face as I hoped to find her alive and live my life with her.”

Helicopters set out to search for Nelson on Monday, but were prevented from flying due to poor weather conditions. Morrison joined the rescue team on Tuesday and Wednesday, when he discovered her remains.

“I spent the last two days searching from the air in a helicopter. Today with the help of @capt_surendra an incredibly skilled pilot we were able to land at 22,000 feet and search for her,” he recounted. “I found her body with the aid of @mt.sherpa today [Wednesday] at 10.30 am.”

He ended his message with this loving tribute: “I’m in Kathmandu with her and her spirit. My loss is indescribable and I am focused on her children and their steps forward. Hilaree Nelson is the most inspiring person in life and now her energy will guide our collective souls.”