Rescued Sherpa Guide Survives Week on Everest

A Sherpa guide, presumed dead after vanishing on Mount Everest, was found alive near base camp almost a week later. Dawa Sherpa, 52, survived without food, water, or supplemental oxygen, which rescuers called a miraculous feat.

He disappeared on May 29 while descending the mountain with a Polish climber. The climber reached base camp safely, but Dawa did not, causing fears he had perished. A cleanup team from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee discovered him crawling through the hazardous Khumbu Icefall, a notorious area on Everest, just above base camp.

Pemba Sherpa of 8K Expeditions described the team’s rescue efforts to The Associated Press. They transported him safely, provided food and water, and flew him by helicopter to a hospital in Kathmandu. His family, including his wife and daughter, awaited him there.

By then, his family had almost given up hope. His teenage daughter, Mendo Lhamu Sherpa, recounted the moment relatives paused funeral rites upon hearing of the rescue. Photographs confirmed their father was found alive.

His wife, Damu Sherpa, learned of his survival through local news and calls from friends. Dawa was still wearing his climbing jacket when found. He is receiving medical care for frostbite and other issues but is alert and communicating.

The Nepal Mount Everest hiking company hailed Dawa’s survival as extraordinary. They emphasized his week-long endurance without basic necessities, navigating through the difficult Khumbu Icefall.

There remain questions about how Dawa became separated from his client and why search efforts delayed. Helicopters eventually failed to spot him. His rescue concluded a record-breaking Everest climbing season, with over 1,000 individuals summiting following Nepal’s issuance of 494 permits.

Officials noted that five climbers and guides died on Everest during the season.