A Sherpa guide who was missing on Mount Everest for nearly a week has been found alive, astonishing his family who had already begun funeral rites. Dawa Sherpa, also known as Hillary Dawa Sherpa after famed climber Edmund Hillary, was last seen on 29 May but failed to reach base camp with other climbing groups.
Six days later, he was discovered crawling towards the camp, dehydrated and weak. The 52-year-old was airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, for treatment. His teenage daughter, Mendo Lhamu Sherpa, recounted the emotional moment they learned of his survival.
Funeral Rites Interrupted
Speaking from their village, Mendo Lhamu Sherpa said the family was on the second day of a funeral ritual when news broke that her father had been found alive. 'When we first heard about it [the rescue], we could not be sure if that person was indeed our father,' she said. 'So to be certain we asked for photos to be sent and then only we were sure and very happy.'
Rescue and Recovery
Details of how Dawa Sherpa became separated from his group remain unclear. He had been guiding clients on the mountain when he vanished. Search efforts were hampered by extreme weather and difficult terrain. It is believed he survived by taking shelter in a crevasse and rationing his supplies.
His rescue has brought relief to the Sherpa community and highlighted the risks faced by high-altitude guides. Dawa Sherpa is now recovering in hospital, with his family hopeful for a full recovery.
