Everest climber says avalanche saved him after days trapped in crevasse

For three days, Nepali mountaineer Dawa Sherpa was trapped in a 25-foot deep crevasse on Mount Everest, surviving on biscuits, chocolates, and ice. Back home, his family had begun mourning his presumed death and had monks perform last rites.

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I am very happy to be back, I thought I would die there.

Sherpa, 57, recounted his dramatic self-rescue after an avalanche thundered into the ice crack, filling it with snow and creating a path to freedom. He described his immense happiness at being alive, having nearly given up hope. He managed to claw his way out and crawl down the world's highest mountain with frostbitten fingers and a fractured leg, dragging himself nearly to Base Camp.

His family's grief was profound, with his devout Buddhist wife and daughter mourning him as dead. The confusion surrounding his disappearance initially led to reports of him being missing for six days, but Sherpa believes he was alone for an entire week after collapsing on May 29.

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I told him to keep going, and that I will come. But when my oxygen ran out, I couldn't move my hands or feet. So I stayed at the rope for about half an hour.

Sherpa, employed as a cook, was roped in as a substitute guide despite never having summited Everest before. He fell behind during a descent after running out of oxygen. He found a tent with noodles, which helped him regain consciousness, and then descended to Camp Three, where he spent a night in harsh winds before search and rescue efforts were delayed.

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I ate it, and it helped me gain consciousness ... I then came down to Camp Three.