Rescue Teams Locate Climber Near Base Camp
A Nepali climbing guide who disappeared on Mount Everest for six days and was feared dead has been found alive after making his way back toward Base Camp, officials confirmed on Thursday.
Experienced mountaineer Hillary Dawa Sherpa went missing on the upper slopes of the world’s highest peak on May 30, prompting an extensive search operation. However, members of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) discovered him alive near Base Camp early Thursday morning.
According to rescuers, Sherpa was crawling down the mountain when search personnel located him. Authorities immediately arranged a helicopter evacuation to transport him to a hospital in Kathmandu for medical treatment and evaluation.
The remarkable survival story stunned fellow climbers and rescue teams, especially given the extreme conditions on Everest and the length of time Sherpa spent alone on the mountain.
Extreme Conditions Complicated Descent
British climber Chris Thrall, who summited Everest alongside Sherpa on May 29, described the difficult conditions that climbers faced during the expedition.
According to Thrall, Sherpa stopped to rest while descending from Camp Four, located just below Everest’s notorious “death zone,” where oxygen levels are critically low. Believing Sherpa would continue safely, Thrall proceeded downward. Shortly afterward, he encountered a Polish climber suffering from severe exhaustion, frostbite and a shortage of supplemental oxygen.
Consequently, Thrall focused on assisting the distressed climber during the challenging descent. He later explained that harsh weather and difficult terrain extended what should have been a routine return journey into an exhausting ordeal.
Meanwhile, search teams launched efforts to locate Sherpa after he failed to return. Despite days of searching, rescuers found no sign of him until Thursday morning, when he emerged near Base Camp under his own power.
The discovery comes during what has become the busiest Everest climbing season on record. Preliminary figures from Nepali authorities indicate that more than 1,000 climbers successfully reached the summit this season.
However, the mountain remains dangerous. At least five people have lost their lives on Everest during the current climbing season, underscoring the risks faced by climbers and guides operating in one of the world’s most challenging environments.
