Sherpa Guide Found Alive After Missing on Mount Everest

Kathmandu, Nepal (AP) — A remarkable event unfolded in the Himalayas when a Sherpa guide, who went missing on Mount Everest, was found alive after a week. Dawa Sherpa reunited with his family after they had lost hope of his return.

Dawa had last been seen around May 29 while descending the mountain. He failed to reach base camp, even though his client successfully did. The duo were among the final climbers of the season as the route was being closed. A cleaning crew discovered him crawling near the Khumbu Icefall, located just above base camp, on Thursday morning, according to Pemba Sherpa of 8K Expeditions, which managed the search.

Immediately, he was taken to safety and provided with food and water. A helicopter transported him to HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu, where his wife and daughter were waiting. They had begun funeral rites, believing he was lost. “We first heard that he was still alive on the local news,” said his wife, Damu Sherpa.

Despite her husband being missing since the previous week, a search team was delayed. No explanations were provided for this, and initial helicopter searches failed to locate him. Dawa’s family had resigned to the belief he wouldn’t return. His daughter, Mendo Lhamu Sherpa, shared that they were in the midst of a funeral ritual when they received news of his rescue. “We could not be sure if that person was indeed our father,” she said. “But, after confirming with photos, we knew it was him, and we were overjoyed.”

The group that found him was from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee. They manage the ladders and ropes used each climbing season and clean up once climbers depart. Dawa’s last sighting was at the Yellow Band above Camp 3, situated at 7,200 meters (23,622 feet). Base camp itself is at 5,300 meters (17,388 feet).

At 52, Dawa works for Himalayan Traverse, a small company in Kathmandu, and was guiding a Polish climber when he disappeared. He hails from Okhaldhunga, a town south of Everest. His survival has stunned the mountaineering community in Nepal.

“This is nothing short of a miracle,” expressed Ang Tshering Sherpa, a prominent figure in the community. “Sherpas have grown up in these mountains and are incredibly resilient. Most others wouldn’t have survived.” Historically, Sherpas were yak herders and traders until Nepal opened its borders in the 1950s, after which they became indispensable as guides in the Himalayan climbing industry.

This past May marked the busiest month in Everest’s history, with over 1,000 climbers and guides scaling the peak. The season started late due to a massive ice block on the route above base camp that took roughly two weeks to clear. Mount Everest, standing at 8,849 meters (29,032 feet), was first conquered on May 29, 1953, by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepali Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay.