Legendary mountaineer and filmmaker David Breashears has died. He was 68.

He was found dead in his Marblehead, Massachusetts home of natural causes, his manager told the Associated Press.

"He combined his passion for climbing and photography to become one of the world's most admired adventure filmmakers," his family said in a written statement.

Breashears summited Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, five times and was the first American to reach the top of the mountain twice.

Breashears shot the IMAX documentary "Everest" during 1996's deadly climbing season. Eight people died in a blizzard that climbing season. The incident later became the basis for author Jon Krakauer's book "Into Thin Air."

In May of 1997, Breashears performed the first live audio WebCast from the summit of Mount Everest for the PBS science documentary series NOVA, according to his website.

Breashears was awarded four Emmy awards for achievement in filmmaking. 

He also worked on Hollywood films such as "Cliffhanger" and "Seven Years in Tibet", according to his IMBD page.

Breashears' best-selling memoir "High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places" documented his life as a mountaineer and filmmaker.

Toward the end of his life, Breashears turned his attention to the impacts of climate change on the Himalayas, Outside magazine reported. He founded GlacierWorks, which documented glacial retreat across the region.