'Heartbreaking': Australian mountain climber Matthew Eakin's body found on K2

Tributes have been paid to the Australian mountain climber who lost his life while climbing the second highest mountain in the world, K2.

Australian man Matthew Eakin has died while climbing the world's second highest mountain, K2. Source: Facebook / Matthew Eakin

Key Points

• A rescue operation has tracked down the body of an Australian man Matthew Eakin.
• He died while climbing the world's second-highest mountain K2. .

A rescue operation has tracked down the body of an Australian man Matthew Eakin, who died while climbing the world's second-highest mountain K2. .

Mr Eakin and Canadian Richard Cartier's bodies were found after both went missing on K2 in Kashmir between camp 1 (6,000 metres) and camp 2 (6,700 metres) in two separate incidents.

"Bodies of the climbers have been traced at a height of around 6,500 metres," a spokesman for Alpine Club Pakistan told news agency DPA on Wednesday.

Matthew (left) is being remembered as championing mountain adventures for Australian climbing enthusiasts. Source: Facebook / Pratik Bahadur Khatri

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade official said consular assistance was being provided and extended condolences to the Australian climber's friends and family.

Tributes have been paid to Mr Eakin, who founded Mountaineers Downunder, an online group to unite Australians devoted to mountain climbers.

Fellow climbers from around the world have posted on Facebook to share their memorable experiences with Mr Eakin and are offering their condolences to his family.

"Although heroes come and go, legends stay forever," a friend wrote on social media.

"Gone too soon but you will always be in our heart and memories. You have been [a] pillar of support and inspiration for too many people including us."

Matthew Eakin founded Mountaineers Downunder, an online group to unite Australians devoted to mountain climbers. Source: Facebook / Animesh Duwadi

Another friend said: "23 years of knowing you will stay with me forever. I will always see your smile in the clouds. Rest easy my dear friend on the mountains you loved."

"Just heartbreaking .. Matt grabbed life by the throat and squeezed for all it was worth.. He lived so many lives in his lifetime and died chasing his passion," another wrote.

Matthew is being remembered as a "legend" by his loved ones online. Source: Facebook / Alessandro Corazza

Asghar Ali Porik, from the Jasmine tour operating company that arranges climbs, said a team of more than 20 porters was "assisting in a mission to retrieve bodies of the climbers".

The 8,611-metre-high K2, which has earned the nickname 'savage mountain' due to its tough conditions, is located in Pakistan-administered Kashmir near the border with China.

Hundreds of mountaineers, most of them from Europe, try to scale peaks in Pakistan every summer, but only a few try during the winter months.

Additional reporting by Rayane Tamer.