Sherpa survives six days on Everest with minimal supplies, calls it a miracle

Dawa Sherpa, an experienced guide on Mount Everest, has survived a harrowing ordeal after being missing for six days on the world's highest peak. Found crawling towards base camp, his survival is being described as a miracle, especially considering he endured the extreme conditions with only a few chocolates and no oxygen supply.

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I didn't think I would be alive. I thought I would perish this way. As the oxygen ran out, I couldn't walk.

Sherpa, 52, became separated from his climbing group on May 29 while descending from Camp Three, at an altitude of approximately 7,600 meters. His family had already begun funeral rituals, believing him to be lost. For nearly a week, he was without oxygen and sustenance, resorting to chewing ice to cope with dehydration, which caused him significant pain.

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I didn't eat anything for the first two days. Then I began chewing ice. It pained my teeth. I chewed the ice hard.

His survival story involves a series of near-fatal events. After falling into a crevasse, where he was trapped for two-and-a-half days, an avalanche unexpectedly helped him escape by shifting the snow. He then navigated treacherous terrain, including the Khumbu Icefall, using ropes to descend, even as another avalanche struck. He managed to walk through the night, eventually nearing base camp.

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Stepping on the snow, I stood up and looked above … it felt I could get out from there.

Pemba Sherpa, executive director of 8K Expeditions, which coordinated search efforts, called Dawa's survival unprecedented. "As far as I know, no one has survived alone at that altitude on Everest so far," he stated. Dawa Sherpa, also known as Hillary Dawa Sherpa, is now recovering in a Kathmandu hospital, receiving treatment for dehydration, frostbite, and a fractured bone. His remarkable resilience and will to live have captivated many, highlighting the extreme dangers and unpredictable nature of high-altitude mountaineering.

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As far as I know, no one has survived alone at that altitude on Everest so far. This is a miracle to have survived for six days alone and descended safe.