Polish adventurer dies atop Mount Kilimanjaro

A 2016 photo shows Aleksander Doba in New York, preparing to kayak from the US to Portugal. PHOTO: AFP

WARSAW (AFP) - A Polish adventurer who crossed the Atlantic three times by kayak unaided has died climbing Kilimanjaro, his family said on Tuesday (Feb 23).

Aleksander Doba, a 74-year-old retired engineer with a thick white beard and a piercing gaze, was a popular figure in Poland.

"It is with profound regret that we announce the death of the great kayaker Alesander Doba on February 22. He died like an adventurer after reaching Africa's highest peak, Kilimanjaro, realising his dreams," his family said in a Facebook post.

According to Polish media reports, Doba lost consciousness shortly after reaching the 5,891.8m peak and never regained it despite efforts to revive him.

Doba's first trans-Atlantic crossing from Senegal to Brazil took him from October 2010 to February 2011, the second from Portugal to US shores from October 2013 to April 2014.

His third voyage from US to French shores lasted 111 days.

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