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Nepali guide found alive after six days on Everest
Dawa Sherpa, a Nepali mountain guide, was discovered alive on Thursday, six days after vanishing near Camp 3 on Mount Everest at an altitude of approximately 7,500 meters (24,600 feet). His survival has been described as miraculous by rescue teams and fellow climbers.
Separation during descent
British climber Chris Thrall, who had been descending the mountain with Sherpa, recounted the moment they became separated. After days of grueling climbing, Sherpa paused to rest, sitting on his backpack. Thrall, unaware of the impending separation, continued downward for about 50 to 100 meters before encountering a Polish climber suffering from severe frostbite.
Thrall shifted his focus to assisting the distressed climber. When he later glanced back up the mountain, Sherpa was no longer visible. "Hillary Dawa didn't appear to have moved, and certainly wasn't descending, because we would have seen his head torch," Thrall told BBC's Newshour.
Family prepares for the worst
As days passed with no sign of Sherpa, hopes of his survival dwindled. His wife began performing last rites, believing he had perished on the mountain, she told AFP. Meanwhile, Sherpa was slowly making his way down Everest, defying the extreme conditions and odds stacked against him.
Miraculous rescue and reaction
On Thursday, a cleaning crew spotted Sherpa as he slid down the mountain. Thrall initially dismissed social media reports of Sherpa's survival as "spam," unable to believe the news. "It really does defy the odds," he said, adding that he had prepared to offer condolences to Sherpa's family just a day earlier.
"It's kind of crazy one minute to be fighting back tears with his daughter, and then the next minute to see him crawling into town. It's absolutely amazing, beyond words."
Chris Thrall, climber
Pemba Sherpa, executive director of 8K Expeditions, which oversaw the search efforts, called the survival a "true self-rescue." "Dawa managed to survive against all odds for days. It's nothing short of a miracle," he said.
Current condition and recovery
Dawa Sherpa is currently receiving treatment at Kathmandu's HAMS Hospital. Dr. Nishant Dhakal, who is overseeing his care in the intensive care unit, reported that Sherpa is awake and undergoing evaluation for frostbite, cold injuries, dehydration, and trauma.
His daughter, Mhendo Lhamo Sherpa, visited him and told Reuters that he recognized her and was able to speak. "We are happy," she said.
Record-breaking climbing season
This year's Everest climbing season has been the busiest on record, with over 1,000 successful summits. However, the season has also been marred by tragedy, with five climbers confirmed dead, according to AFP.
