Air passengers ‘risking lives by grabbing bags and filming in emergencies’
Air passengers are risking lives by grabbing bags and filming during emergencies, experts warn.
The Guardian World1 min read
Mount Everest climber recounts moment he lost guide who survived six days alone
TL;DR
Climber Chris Thrall describes the moment he lost his guide, Dawa Sherpa, while descending Mount Everest. Sherpa was found alive after surviving six days in the 'death zone'.
Key points
- Chris Thrall became separated from his guide on Mount Everest
- Dawa Sherpa survived six days in the death zone
- Thrall was amazed to see Sherpa alive after being presumed lost
Mentioned in this story
Chris ThrallDawa Sherpa
Mount Everest
A former British soldier has recounted the moment he became separated from his mountain guide as they were descending Mount Everest.
Dawa Sherpa was found alive on Thursday, after six days in what's known as the "death zone". Climber Chris Thrall said that at first, it was impossible to believe Sherpahad survived against the odds.
Thrall told BBC's Newshour: "It's kind of crazy one minute to be fighting back tears with his daughter, and then the next minute to see him crawling into town. It's absolutely amazing, beyond words".
Thrall had last seen Dawa Sherpa sitting on his backpack to have a short rest as they made their way back towards base camp after arduous days of climbing.
Thrall passed the guide, also known as Hillary Dawa Sherpa after famed mountaineer Edmund Hillary.
He continued to descend alone for what he estimated to be about 50-100m before he came across another member of their group, a "Polish climber with no oxygen, battling fairly severe frostbite".
"So immediately my attention turned to the weakest member of the trio. And that was that," he told Newshour.
"As Ilookback up the mountain, as I helped this guy descend, Hillary Dawa didn't appear to have moved, and certainly wasn't descending, because we would have seen his head torch."
Dawa Sherpa was last seen above Camp 3, at around 7,500m.
For the next six days there was no sign of him. His wife had started to offer last rite prayers for his soul, she told AFP.
As hopes of his survival faded, Dawa Sherpa had slowly been making his way towards salvation, and on Thursday he was spotted by a cleaning crew as he slid slowly down the world's tallest mountain.
When Thrall first saw comments on social media saying Dawa Sherpa had been found alive, he said he thought it was "spam".
"It really does defy the odds. I met the family yesterday to offer my utmost condolences," he told Newshour.
He added he was "very happy for Hillary, looking forward to speaking to him".
Pemba Sherpa, executive director of 8K Expeditions which was overseeing search efforts, called it a "true self-rescue".
"Dawa managed to survive against all odds for days. It's nothing short of a miracle," he said.
Dawa Sherpa is "awake and undergoing treatment", according to Nishant Dhakal, a doctor in the intensive care unit of Kathmandu's HAMS Hospital.
"We are managing his frostbites, cold injuries, hydration and trauma. He is being further evaluated and will be in our ICU."
"He recognised me … is good and speaks," his daughter Mhendo Lhamo Sherpa told Reuters news agency after visiting him. "We are happy."
More than 1,000 have summited Everest summit this season, making it the busiest on record. Five people have died, according to AFP.
Q&A
How did Dawa Sherpa survive six days on Mount Everest?
Dawa Sherpa survived six days in the 'death zone' after becoming separated from his climber, Chris Thrall, during their descent.
What was Chris Thrall's reaction upon finding Dawa Sherpa alive?
Chris Thrall expressed disbelief and joy, stating it was 'absolutely amazing' to see Sherpa crawling into town after being presumed lost.
Who is Dawa Sherpa and what is his connection to Edmund Hillary?
Dawa Sherpa, also known as Hillary Dawa Sherpa, is named after the famed mountaineer Edmund Hillary, and he served as a guide for climbers on Mount Everest.
