Key facts
- Dawa Sherpa, a Nepali guide, was found alive near Mount Everest's base camp after being missing for a week.
- His family had already commenced funeral rituals, believing him to be deceased.
- Sherpa was located by a climbing support team while descending the Khumbu icefall.
- He suffered from frostbite but was otherwise in good health and was transported to a Kathmandu hospital.
- His survival is being hailed as miraculous by the mountaineering community.
A Nepali guide, Dawa Sherpa, who had been missing for a week on Mount Everest and whose family had begun funeral rites, was found alive near base camp. The 52-year-old was located by a climbing support team crawling down the slopes above the Khumbu icefall, just above base camp.
Dawa Sherpa, also known as Hillary Dawa Sherpa, was last seen on May 29 around the "death zone" of the mountain, where survival is extremely difficult due to low oxygen levels. A helicopter rescue attempt had failed to find him. He was found to have frostbite on his hands but was otherwise in good health and was quickly brought to safety.
He was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Kathmandu, where his wife, Damu Sherpa, and daughter, Mendo Lhamu Sherpa, were waiting. His daughter described the emotional moment of confirming his survival while they were in the middle of funeral rituals.
Chris Thrall, a British climber who had encountered Dawa Sherpa on the descent, posted a video tribute believing he had died. Thrall recounted a brief interaction where Sherpa indicated he was fine and urged Thrall to proceed, while Thrall assisted Sherpa's Polish client who was suffering from frostbite and lacked oxygen.
Members of the Sherpa community, known for their resilience and expertise in the Himalayas, have hailed Dawa Sherpa's survival as miraculous. This year's climbing season has been particularly busy, with over 1,000 climbers and guides ascending Everest, but it also saw five deaths, prompting renewed criticism about overcrowding in dangerous areas.