Discovery Channel announced on Sunday that they have canceled the Everest Jump Live, which was set to air on May 11th, following the deadly avalanche that claimed the lives of 13 Sherpa guides on Mt. Everest on April 18th.
The thirteen crew members were on Mt. Everest shooting footage in advance of the special for five nights of live programming that would have concluded with Ogwyn’s live jump on May 11th.
“In light of the overwhelming tragedy at Mount Everest and respect for the families of the fallen, Discovery Channel will not be going forward with Everest Jump Live. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the whole Sherpa community,” Discovery released in a statement.
Discovery will now use footage they have filmed thus far documenting the deadly disaster in Nepal and exploring the dangers of Mount Everest in a televised documentary. Discovery is also looking into finding a Sherpa charity to which it will make a donation and will encourage viewers to do the same during the documentary. It is unclear whether the documentary will be an hour or two hours long, and what level of participation NBC News will have since NBC News’ Peacock Productions would have produced the live jump.
