David Finlay Breashears (born December 20, 1955) is an American mountaineer, filmmaker, author, and motivational speaker.[1] In 1985, he reached the summit of Mount Everest a second time, becoming the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest **** than once. He is perhaps best known as the director and cinematographer of Everest (1998)—which became the highest-grossing IMAX documentary—and for his assistance in the rescue efforts during the 1996 Everest disaster, which occurred during the film's production.[2][3][4]