Famed American ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson missing after falling near peak of world's eighth-highest mountain in Nepal

Nepalese rescuers in a helicopter were searching Tuesday for a famed U.S. ski climber a day after she fell near the peak of the world's eighth-highest mountain. Also Monday, an avalanche at a lower elevation on Mount Manaslu swept several climbers, killing a Nepali guide and injuring others.

Hilaree Nelson, 49, was skiing down from the 26,775-foot summit with her partner Jim Morrison when she fell off the mountain, according to Jiban Ghimire of the Kathmandu-based Shangri-La Nepal Trek that organized and outfitted the expedition.

"She had an accident yesterday as she was descending shortly after her summit. We are trying to get clarity on what happened," Ghimire told AFP.