South Asia News
American teenager sets record on Everest
By DPA
May 18, 2007, 4:55 GMT

Kathmandu - An American teenager set a new record on the world's highest peak by becoming the youngest foreign-born climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the Nepalese government said Friday.

Nineteen-year-old Samantha Larson of HG I Everest Expedition Spring 2007 reached the summit of the 8,848-metre-high peak on Thursday morning.

'Samantha Larson is the youngest foreign woman to summit Mt Everest,' a statement issued by the Tourism Ministry said.

She was accompanied by her father, David D Larson, along with her team members Anthony Victor Saunders and James Durie Kerr of Britain and Douglas P Beal of the United States.

Larson's success came on the day a total of 39 climbers reached the summit of Mt Everest.

Since Wednesday a total of 61 climbers have successfully reached the summit, the ministry said.