Key facts
- Dawa Sherpa, 57, survived six days on Mount Everest.
- He sustained himself by eating chocolate and chewing ice.
- His family filed a complaint alleging abandonment.
- The family believes more could have been done to find him sooner.
- He was spotted alive by a cleaning crew.
Dawa Sherpa, a 57-year-old Sherpa guide, survived a harrowing six-day ordeal on Mount Everest by consuming chocolate and chewing ice. His remarkable survival highlights extreme resourcefulness. Following his rescue, his family filed an official complaint, alleging that he was abandoned and that more efforts could have been made to locate him sooner. The family's complaint underscores concerns about safety protocols and rescue operations in extreme mountaineering conditions. He was spotted alive by a cleaning crew as he slid slowly down the world's tallest mountain. It had been feared Dawa Sherpa had perished on the mountain, with his family in Nepal's capital Kathmandu beginning last rites before he was spotted by a clean-up team. Dawa Sherpa disappeared in brutal conditions on the upper slopes of the world's tallest mountain on May 30 during one of the final climbs of the spring season.