BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) – A local man made it to the top of the world Thursday, reaching the top of Mount Everest as part of an expedition from Connecticut.

Dave Watson, 28, of Burlington and three other members of the Connecticut Everest Expedition reached the summit of the world’s tallest mountain at 7:45 a.m. local time in Tibet, about 9:45 p.m. Eastern Time, said Watson’s father, Mark Watson of Southington, Conn.

Dave Watson called home with a satellite telephone shortly after reaching the summit, Mark Watson said.

Dave Watson, a professional climbing guide who works at Eastern Mountain Sports in Burlington, has made it back down to the Everest base camp.

“He’s at advanced base camp,” Mark Watson said Thursday afternoon. “It’s considered safety. They are all out of the death zone and the places where there are problems.”

Mark Watson said that as a parent it was difficult watching a child climb a mountain known to kill many climbers. Also Thursday a 63-year-old Japanese woman died while descending Mount Everest after reaching the summit.

“It’s been horrible. It’s just been difficult as a parent from beginning to end,” Mark Watson said.

Mark Watson said his son left for Nepal at the end of March.

The peak of Mount Everest has an altitude of 29,035 feet.

AP-ES-05-20-04 1825EDT