QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Authorities in Ecuador say an American expert on teen sexual health has died while climbing a volcano in the South American nation.

A Wednesday statement from Ecuador’s Environment Ministry says Douglas Kirby apparently suffered a heart attack and died while climbing the Cotopaxi volcano.

The volcano, with an elevation of nearly 19,400 feet, is popular with climbers who visit from around the world.

Kirby was a senior research scientist at ETR Associates, a Scotts Valley, California-based non-profit organization focusing on health education. ETR’s website says Kirby spent four decades conducting social science research and was a global expert on adolescent sexual health.

The statement from Ecuador’s Environment Ministry says Kirby died while climbing the volcano on Saturday. It provided no other details.

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