A Sherpa guide, whose family had already commenced funeral rituals after he went missing on Mount Everest, was discovered alive nearly a week later, crawling toward base camp. His survival on the world’s highest peak, without food, water, or supplemental oxygen, has been hailed by rescuers as “nothing short of a miracle.”
Dawa Sherpa, aged 52, disappeared on May 29 while descending Everest. He had been guiding a Polish climber and decided to turn back before reaching the summit. While his client made it safely to base camp, Dawa did not, sparking fears that he had perished on the mountain.
On Thursday morning, a cleanup crew from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee stumbled upon him as he crawled through the perilous Khumbu Icefall, a notoriously dangerous part of Everest located just above base camp. Pemba Sherpa, representing 8K Expeditions, relayed this incredible discovery to The Associated Press.
Rescuers swiftly carried him to safety, providing him with much-needed food and water before airlifting him via helicopter to a hospital in Kathmandu. There, his wife and daughter anxiously awaited his arrival.
Medics swiftly attended to Dawa Sherpa upon his arrival at HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, on June 4, 2026. Niranjan Shrestha of the Associated Press captured the moment of this emotional reunion.
