Everest Climber Recalls Separation from Guide Who Survived Six Days in Death Zone

A former British soldier has described the harrowing instant he lost contact with his Sherpa guide during a descent from Mount Everest. Dawa Sherpa, also known as Hillary Dawa Sherpa, was discovered alive on Thursday, having endured six days in the mountain’s lethal "death zone."

Chris Thrall, a climber who was with Sherpa, admitted he initially struggled to comprehend that the guide had lived against such steep odds. Speaking to the BBC’s Newshour, Thrall expressed his emotional reaction to the reunion: "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 recalled the last time he saw Sherpa: the guide was sitting on his backpack for a brief rest while the group made their way back to base camp following grueling ascent days. After passing Sherpa, who is named after the legendary mountaineer Edmund Hillary, Thrall continued his solo descent for approximately 50 to 100 meters. There, he encountered another member of their party—a Polish climber suffering from severe frostbite and without oxygen.

"My attention immediately shifted to the weakest member of our trio," Thrall explained. "And that was that."

As Thrall assisted the injured climber down the mountain, he looked back up the slope. Sherpa appeared to have remained stationary. "Hillary Dawa didn't appear to have moved, and certainly wasn't descending, because we would have seen his head torch," Thrall noted.

Sherpa had been last spotted above Camp 3, at an altitude of roughly 7,500 meters. For the subsequent six days, there was no trace of him. Despair had set in among his loved ones; his wife had reportedly begun offering last rites for his soul, according to AFP.

However, as hopes dwindled, Sherpa was slowly navigating his way back down. On Thursday, a cleanup crew spotted him sliding down the world’s highest peak. When Thrall first encountered social media posts announcing Sherpa’s survival, he dismissed the reports as "spam," finding it hard to believe.

"I really do think it defies the odds," Thrall told Newshour. He mentioned meeting the family the previous day to extend his deepest condolences but added, "I am very happy for Hillary, looking forward to speaking to him."

Pemba Sherpa, the executive director of 8K Expeditions, which coordinated the search operation, described the event as a "true self-rescue." He emphasized that Dawa’s ability to survive for days against all odds was "nothing short of a miracle."

Medical professionals are currently caring for the guide. Nishant Dhakal, an intensive care unit physician at Kathmandu’s HAMS Hospital, confirmed that Dawa Sherpa is awake and receiving treatment. "We are managing his frostbites, cold injuries, hydration and trauma. He is being further evaluated and will be in our ICU," Dhakal stated.

Following a visit to her father, his daughter, Mhendo Lhamo Sherpa, told Reuters that he is conscious, in good spirits, and able to speak. "He recognised me … is good and speaks," she said. "We are happy."

This season has marked the busiest on record for Everest, with more than 1,000 individuals reaching the summit. According to AFP, five climbers have died during this period.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-05 01:22:31 UTC