Northamptonshire Everest climber confirms he is safe after his camp is destroyed by the Nepal earthquake

Tony McMurray set out to reach the Everest Base Camp to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society.

He tweeted saying he reached the camp on Thursday, April 23 and spent two days there, leaving on April 25 just hours before the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the region, causing avalanches to destroy the camp.

His wife Sharon saw the newsflash on TV at her Towcester home then waited 30 agonising hours to discover whether her husband was alive.

It was reported that 17 people has died on the mountain and dozens more were injured.

A text from Tony finally reached Sharon on Sunday afternoon, saying he had survived by sheltering under a mountain ridge.

“I can’t put into words the relief I felt,” said the 43-year-old this week.

In a series of emotional texts and emails, Tony, 46, has since described the earthquake aftershocks as he made his way down the mountain – and the devastation that greeted him when he reached the bottom at Kathmandu.

“He saw some terrible sights. I think it struck him then just how lucky he was to be alive,” said Sharon, who runs Towcester tearooms.

“In true Tony fashion, he wanted to help, and gave away all he has with him to people who had lost everything he gave them his clothes, his boots, medicine and even his underpants.”

Mr McMurray’s three week trek through the Himalayas to the base camp was to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society, which he has been a registered volunteer and ambassador for since 2005.

Mrs McMurry said: “I don’t think even an earthquake will stop Tony fundraising again. He has already texted to say he wants to raise money to help the thousands of victims in Nepal, so I have a feeling he’ll be climbing even more mountains.”

To donate to his fundraising efforts go tohis JustGiving page.