Sherpa Guide Found Alive After Week on Everest

A Sherpa guide who had been presumed dead on Mount Everest made a miraculous recovery. Dawa Sherpa, 52, vanished on May 29 while descending the mountain with a Polish climber he was guiding. While the climber safely reached base camp, Dawa did not, causing concerns about his fate.

Nearly a week later, a Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee cleanup crew found him crawling towards base camp through the Khumbu Icefall, a perilous section of Everest. Upon discovery, rescuers provided him with food and water before airlifting him to a hospital in Kathmandu. There, his wife and daughter awaited his arrival.

“When we first heard about it, we could not be sure if that person was indeed our father,” said his daughter, Mendo Lhamu Sherpa. “So to be certain, we asked for photos to be sent and then only we were sure and very happy.”

Initially, his family believed he had died. His wife, Damu Sherpa, recounted learning of his survival from local news and friends’ calls. Dawa is recovering from frostbite and other issues but is conscious and communicating.

The hiking company described his survival as extraordinary, highlighting that he endured without food, water, or supplemental oxygen. He navigated the dangerous Khumbu Icefall despite removed ladders, which marked the end of the climbing season.

During this unprecedented Everest climbing season, Nepal issued a record 494 permits, with over 1,000 climbers and guides reaching the summit. The season saw five climbers and guides lose their lives, according to officials.