A Sherpa guide, Dawa Sherpa, who went missing above Camp 3 (about 7,500m) was found alive six days later after making a solo descent past Camp 3, Camp 2 and Camp 1 to the Khumbu Icefall. Presumed dead and mourned by his wife, the 52-year-old is now recovering from frostbite at HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu. Colleagues call his survival extraordinary; rescuers believe he took refuge in tents during his descent.
Sherpa Found Alive After Six Days Missing on Mount Everest — Miraculous Solo Descent
Image Credit: Daniel Prudek / Shutterstock.
The guides who help climbers on Mount Everest are known as Sherpas: skilled navigators of the mountain's hazardous terrain who often carry heavy loads. It is demanding, dangerous work.
Recently, a Sherpa guide named Dawa Sherpa disappeared during a descent and was feared dead after losing contact with his group. He was last seen above Camp 3 at about 7,500 meters, prompting search teams to launch a multi-day hunt for the missing climber.
Days passed with no sign of him, and rescuers were close to giving up hope. At such altitude the environment is bitterly cold, shelters are scarce, and conditions are extremely hostile for anyone exposed and alone.
Against the odds, six days later a cleaning crew spotted Dawa making his way down the mountain. He had managed a solo descent past Camp 3, Camp 2 and Camp 1 and reached the Khumbu Icefall just above Base Camp.
The 52-year-old had already been presumed dead by fellow rescuers, and his wife told news agency AFP that she had performed last rites. Very few people who go missing on the world’s highest mountain ever return alive, which is why his survival has been described as extraordinary.
“As far as I know, no one has survived alone at that altitude on Everest so far. This is a miracle to have survived for six days alone and descended safe. I think he must have lived inside the tents to keep himself safe,” a Sherpa told AFP.
Dawa is now recovering from frostbite and is otherwise in surprisingly good condition. He is receiving treatment at HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu, where doctors say he is awake and responding well.
Rescue teams and colleagues are trying to piece together how he lasted so long exposed at extreme altitude. It is believed he sheltered in tents at the camps as he descended, resting and regaining energy between stages of the long descent.
The client Dawa had been guiding, a former British Marine, posted an online tribute after assuming Dawa had died. He said that while descending from Camp 4, Dawa sat down and told him to continue; when the client turned back later, Dawa was gone.
Everest has become busier in recent years: last season roughly 1,000 climbers reached the summit, making it one of the busiest on record. Dawa’s survival highlights both the risks of high-altitude climbing and the resilience and experience of Sherpa guides who work on the mountain.
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