Miracle on Everest: Missing Sherpa Found Alive After Six Days in Death Zone Crawl to Base Camp
A Nepali mountain climbing guide who had been missing for six days on Mount Everest and was initially feared dead has been found alive after managing to crawl back toward Base Camp, according to officials who spoke to AFP.
The guide, identified as experienced climber Hillary Dawa Sherpa, disappeared on May 30 while operating in the upper sections of the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest. His disappearance triggered serious concern among rescue teams and fellow climbers, as conditions high on the mountain are extremely dangerous due to low oxygen levels, freezing temperatures, and unpredictable weather.
On Thursday morning, rescuers from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC)—a Nepali organization responsible for managing routes and cleaning waste on Everest—found Sherpa alive near Base Camp. Remarkably, he had been crawling down the mountain on his own after surviving several days in extreme altitude conditions.
A rescue team member, Pemba Sherpa from 8K Expeditions, which had been coordinating search operations, confirmed the dramatic discovery. He said that the climber was found in a severely weakened state, crawling but still conscious. A helicopter was immediately dispatched to evacuate him to a hospital in Kathmandu, Kathmandu, for urgent medical treatment.
The situation unfolded after British former Royal Marine and climber Chris Thrall revealed that he had successfully reached the summit of Everest on May 29 at around 5:00 pm alongside Sherpa. However, during their descent the following day, conditions in the so-called “death zone” above 8,000 meters became extremely difficult.
Thrall later shared on social media that Sherpa had paused during the descent, sitting down briefly with his heavy backpack. He recalled asking him if he was okay, to which Sherpa reportedly replied that he was fine and encouraged him to continue descending ahead. Such brief separations are common among high-altitude Sherpas, who are known for their endurance and experience.
As Thrall continued downward, he encountered another climber—a Polish mountaineer—who was in serious trouble after running out of supplemental oxygen and suffering frostbite. Faced with a life-threatening situation, Thrall said he chose to assist the struggling climber rather than return immediately for Sherpa, who he believed would likely continue descending safely on his own, as he had done in previous climbs.
Thrall described the descent as one of the most difficult he had ever experienced. What is typically a five-day summit expedition reportedly stretched to 11 days due to harsh weather and exhausting conditions. He and the injured Polish climber took approximately 11 hours to reach Camp Three, a journey that normally takes about two hours, while sharing limited oxygen supplies.
He admitted that the situation became extremely serious, highlighting how quickly conditions can deteriorate at extreme altitude, where climbers are constantly at risk of hypothermia, oxygen deprivation, and exhaustion.
Following Sherpa’s disappearance, search and rescue teams launched operations, but no immediate trace was found for several days. The mountain season was nearing its end, and relatively few climbers remained on the upper slopes, making rescue efforts more difficult.
Eventually, Sherpa reappeared on his own, having slowly made his way down the mountain against all odds.
This climbing season on Everest has been particularly deadly, with at least five reported fatalities, including two Indian climbers and three Nepali guides involved in expedition preparations. Despite the dangers, the season has also seen record activity, with Nepali officials estimating that more than 1,000 climbers successfully reached the summit, making it one of the busiest climbing seasons in history.
