Missing climber found alive after 6 days on Mount Everest

©Weichao Deng via Unsplash

A Nepalese climber reported missing on Mount Everest six days ago was found alive on Thursday. Hillary Dawa Sherpa was found this morning while crawling independently to base camp. This was reported by Pemba Sherpa of rescue company 8K Expeditions.

A helicopter picked up the climber and took him to a hospital in Kathmandu. "He has frozen body parts, but is otherwise in reasonable condition," Pemba Sher pa said after consulting with attending doctors.

Hillary Dawa Sherpa, an experienced mountain guide, reached the summit with British alpinist Chris Thrall at 8,848 meters on May 29. However, while descending from Camp 4 (7,950 meters) toward Camp 3, they were separated. After a brief pause, Hillary Dawa had urged Sherpa Thrall to continue. The Brit then helped a Polish climber in distress, but did not find Hillary Dawa Sherpa again.

The expedition was part of the spring season, with more than a thousand mountaineers making it to the summit this year - a record, according to the Nepal Tourism Bureau. Nevertheless, the mountain has already claimed five lives this year: two Indians and three Nepalis. Fortunately, that's not too bad compared to 2023, the deadliest climbing season ever with 18 climbers killed.

Hillary Dawa Sherpa's survival gives hope in an unfortunately dark history of the highest mountain on earth. Indeed, many mountaineers and adventurers tragically lost their lives there.

Mount Everest, at 8,849 meters above sea level, is the highest mountain on Earth and lies on the border between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It is part of the Great Himalayas. Everest has captured the imagination for more than a century as the ultimate mountain for climbers and adventurers. The first successful ascent took place in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. Since then, the mountain has become a symbol of human ambition, as well as risk and endurance.

©Weichao Deng via Unsplash - illustration image of Mount Everest