Weathers joined the Adventure Consultants expedition led by Rob Hall and fellow climbers including Doug Hansen, Andy Harris, Mike Groom and journalist Jon Krakauer.
Another group, Mountain Madness, led by Scott Fischer, was also attempting the summit at the same time. Both teams were aiming for the highest peak on Earth — Mount Everest — in May 1996.
On summit day, Weathers, who had undergone radial keratotomy eye surgery 18 months earlier, experienced vision issues near the South Col. He went nearly blind until daylight, and after scratching an ice crystal across his right cornea he was left with no depth perception.
He was advised to wait while others continued their summit attempt. As weather conditions worsened, several climbers — including Hall, Hansen and Fischer — were caught in the death zone. Ultimately, eight climbers died during the descent.
