Miraculous Survival of Sherpa Guide on Mount Everest

A Sherpa guide, Dawa Sherpa, was discovered crawling toward base camp on Mount Everest, a week after he went missing. His family had lost hope of his return. Dawa was last witnessed around May 29, descending the mountain. While his client reached base camp, Dawa did not.

As one of the last climbers remaining on the mountain at the season’s end, a cleaning crew found him Thursday morning. He was crawling through the snowy slopes near the Khumbu Icefall, just above base camp. Pemba Sherpa of 8K Expeditions, who coordinated the search, confirmed his location.

Immediately after being found, Dawa was taken to safety and provided with food and water. A rescue helicopter transported him to HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu. He was reunited with his family, who had already commenced funeral rituals, presuming his loss.

‘We first heard that he was still alive on the local news,’ said Dawa’s wife, Damu Sherpa. ‘A call confirmed that he was being brought down.’

Although Dawa had been missing for several days, search team organization faced delays. Despite the family’s despair, they were notified during their second day of funeral rituals. His daughter, Mendo Lhamu Sherpa, sought verification through photos to ensure it was indeed her father.

The team that discovered him was part of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee. This organization is responsible for preparing and clearing the climbing route each season. Dawa was last spotted at the Yellow Band near Camp 3, at an altitude of 7,200 meters (23,622 feet). The base camp stands at 5,300 meters (17,388 feet).

Dawa, aged 52, works for Himalayan Traverse, a small company in Kathmandu. He was assisting a Polish climber during his expedition. Originating from Okhaldhunga, south of Everest, his survival is considered miraculous.

‘This is nothing short of a miracle,’ stated Ang Tshering Sherpa, a prominent figure in Nepal’s mountaineering community. ‘Sherpas are built tough.’

The Sherpa community, originally yak herders and traders, began guiding and portering in the 1950s following Nepal’s border opening. Their endurance and expertise made them valuable in the Himalayan climbing industry.

This May, over 1,000 climbers and guides summited Everest. It marked the busiest climbing season on the peak. The climbing season’s start was delayed due to clearing a massive ice block on the route, taking about two weeks.

The peak of Mount Everest, reaching 8,849 meters (29,032 feet), was first ascended on May 29, 1953. Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay achieved this historic climb.