Climber Survives 6 Days in Everest's Death Zone

When Dawa Sherpa ran out of oxygen near the top of Mount Everest on May 30, his family began funeral prayers, convinced he had perished on the world's tallest mountain. Six days later, he shocked everyone by crawling into base camp alive.

The 57-year-old mountaineer disappeared during one of the final climbs of the spring season. Stranded in freezing temperatures near Everest's "death zone," where oxygen levels are critically low, he survived on ice and a few chocolates from his pockets.

"I didn't think I would be alive," Sherpa told BBC Nepali from his hospital bed. "I thought I would perish this way."

For the first two days, he ate nothing. Then desperation drove him to chew ice despite the pain it caused his teeth. He soaked the few chocolates and snacks he found in his pockets in water to make them last.

At one point, Sherpa fell into a crevasse but managed to climb out. "Stepping on the snow, I stood up and looked above," he said. "It felt like I could get out from there."

He walked day and night toward base camp. On the morning of June 4, a cleanup crew heading up the mountain to collect waste spotted him crawling toward safety. They carried him down immediately.

Doctors in Kathmandu treated him for frostbite, severe dehydration, and a fractured thigh bone. His daughter Mendo Lhamu Sherpa confirmed he's recovering well and they've been able to talk.

The Ripple Effect

Sherpa's survival has ignited important conversations about climber safety on Everest. His family accused rescue teams of failing to search for him sooner, while the Nepal Mountaineering Association president called for an investigation.

"It is irresponsible and inhumane to leave a person behind," said association president Fur Gelje Sherpa. He's pushing for an investigation committee to hold people accountable.

Fellow climbers say Dawa Sherpa, nicknamed "Hillary" after legendary mountaineer Edmund Hillary, is highly experienced and familiar with high-altitude dangers. He's survived close calls before, but this may have been his closest brush with death yet.

This year's Everest season saw record-breaking numbers, with over 1,000 climbers reaching the summit. But five climbers died during the season, highlighting the mountain's persistent dangers even as it grows more crowded.

Sherpa's story proves that experience, determination, and a bit of luck can overcome even the harshest conditions nature throws our way.