A Sherpa guide missing for several days during a descent from Mount Everest was found alive, highlighted as a miraculous survival story by the mountaineering community in Nepal. Dawa Sherpa, 52, was located while crawling towards base camp and reunited with his family, who had lost hope for his safe return.
Ang Tshering Sherpa, a notable figure in the community, commented on Dawa’s survival, citing the inherent resilience of Sherpas due to their upbringing in mountainous environments.
On May 29, Dawa was last observed descending Everest but did not reach the base camp, although his climbing partner did. They were among the season’s final climbers as preparations were underway to dismantle the route.
On Thursday morning, a cleaning crew discovered Dawa near the Khumbu Icefall, above the base camp. He received immediate assistance, including food and water, and was transported to HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu via rescue helicopter. His wife and daughter, during ongoing funeral rituals, were informed of his survival through local news, which caused mixed emotions until they confirmed the news with a photograph.
Damu Sherpa, Dawa’s wife, shared that she performed last rite prayers before realizing her husband was alive. Upon arrival at the hospital, Dawa was conscious and recovering from frostbite.
The search delay, unexplained, once initiated saw helicopters unsuccessfully tracing him. Dawa’s detection was achieved by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, responsible for route management and cleanup post-climbing season.
Dawa was last seen at the Yellow Band, 23,622 feet above the Camp 3.
Employing a Polish climber, Dawa works with Himalayan Traverse, a small firm in Kathmandu, and hails from Okhaldhunga, Everest’s south. The Sherpa community, originally yak herders and traders deep within the Himalayas, pivoted to mountaineering as Nepal opened to foreign exploration in the 1950s.
May was intensely busy for Everest with over 1,000 climbers scaling it, and May 21 saw a record of 274 climbers ascending Nepal’s side in one day amid warnings from experts about overcrowding dangers. These concerns are exacerbated by the inclusion of inexperienced climbers amongst the groups. Kami Rita Sherpa emphasized the necessity for quality control.
The first successful climb to Everest’s peak happened on May 29, 1953, by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.
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