After six days of being missing on the upper slopes of Mount Everest, Nepali climbing guide Dawa Sherpa was found alive in what many are calling a miraculous survival story. The 52-year-old mountaineer, who had disappeared while descending from high altitude, was discovered crawling near Everest Base Camp by a team of cleaners from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC).
The heroic return from death
"He was found by a team of SPCC this morning close to the base camp; he was crawling down," Pemba Sherpa of 8K Expeditions, which was overseeing search and rescue efforts, told AFP, according to a report by Hindustan Times.
The cleaners rushed him to the camp, from where he was airlifted by helicopter to a hospital for treatment. According to Reuters, Dawa's family said he was recovering well and receiving treatment for frostbite and other complications.
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“He recognised me … is good and speaks,” said Mhendo Lhamo Sherpa, the guide’s daughter. “We are happy.”
The discovery came after family members and search teams had virtually abandoned hope. His wife, Damu Sherpa, said preparations for his last rites had already begun.
"We were very happy to hear the news; we had given up hope," she said. "We also began puja (last rite prayers) yesterday."
Family in disbelief
His daughter, Mendo Lhamu Sherpa, recalled initially struggling to believe the news. "At first we were not sure if it was him - but they sent us photos to confirm, and then I was happy," she said.
In a social media post, the Nepal Mount Everest hiking company described the extraordinary nature of his survival. "Dawa survived alone for nearly a week without food, water, or supplemental oxygen, navigating the treacherous Khumbu Icefall (even after the fixed ladders were removed for the season)," the company said. "This is nothing short of a miracle."
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How did he go missing?
Dawa Sherpa had gone missing while descending from Camp IV alongside former British Royal Marine Chris Thrall, whom he was assisting on an Everest expedition. According to Thrall, the two began descending around 5 pm on May 29. Sherpa stopped briefly to rest and encouraged Thrall to continue ahead.
As he descended, Thrall encountered a Polish climber suffering from frostbite and lacking supplementary oxygen. Faced with a difficult decision, he chose to assist the stranded climber. He later described the harsh conditions, noting that a descent from Camp IV to Camp III that would normally take two hours instead took 11.
Search teams subsequently launched efforts to locate Dawa Sherpa, but no trace of him was found until Thursday morning, when he emerged from the mountain on his own, completing one of Everest's most remarkable survival stories.
