Fond du Lac man survives deadly Nepal earthquake while climbing Mount Everest

NEPAL (AP/WITI) — A Wisconsin man climbing Mount Everest survived a powerful earthquake that shook Nepal.

The Wisconsin State Journal reports 52-year-old Andy Land of Fond du Lac and his climbing team guided by International Mountain Guides of Ashford, Washington, were in the Khumbu Icefall region near the mountain's base when the 7.8-magnitude quake struck Saturday, April 25th.

Eric Simonson, a partner with IMG, posted on the company's website Saturday, saying the team called from base camp to say everyone was okay.

Land, a hospice nurse, has spent months training for the climb to bring awareness to hospice. He departed Wisconsin last month.

His wife, Mary Sue and his mother, Loretta say they're relieved he's alive, but they say they realize he's still in a very dangerous predicament.

"You know that these are the dangers, but you hope it's not going to happen, but you know, the hugest earthquake in 80 years and it happens when he's over there," Mary Sue Land said.

"Of course my big fear is that they've got to come down off that mountain. And there's going to be avalanches all the way down. So, yes, they're safe -- but that's only meaning they're safe at this moment," Land's mother Loretta said.

The earthquake is the worst tremor to hit the poor South Asian nation in over 80 years. Nearly 1,200 were killed, with more reports expected to come in.

FOX6's Ted Perry recently profiled Andy Land as he prepared to climb Mount Everest: