Missing Everest Guide Found Alive After Six Days

A former British soldier has shared the remarkable story of the final moments he spent with a Nepali mountain guide before the climber disappeared on Mount Everest and was later found alive after nearly a week in one of the world’s most dangerous environments.

Dawa Sherpa, an experienced guide known as Hillary Dawa Sherpa, was discovered alive on Thursday after spending six days missing in Everest’s notorious “death zone,” an area above 8,000 meters where oxygen levels are critically low and survival becomes increasingly difficult.

Chris Thrall, who was climbing with Dawa Sherpa, described the guide’s survival as extraordinary and almost impossible to comprehend.

Speaking to the BBC’s Newshour program, Thrall said the emotional turnaround was overwhelming after he had already prepared himself for the worst.

“One moment I was speaking with his daughter and offering condolences, and the next I was hearing that he had been found alive. It’s simply incredible,” he said.

Thrall recalled that he last saw Dawa Sherpa resting on his backpack during their descent from Everest after several exhausting days on the mountain.

As they made their way down, Thrall continued ahead alone for a short distance before encountering another climber from their group—a Polish mountaineer who was struggling without supplemental oxygen and suffering from serious frostbite.

According to Thrall, his focus immediately shifted to helping the injured climber descend safely.

He later looked back up the mountain but saw no sign that Dawa Sherpa had resumed moving.

Dawa Sherpa was last spotted above Camp 3 at an altitude of approximately 7,500 meters. After that, no contact was made with him, and concerns quickly grew as search efforts failed to locate the missing guide.

As the days passed, hopes for his survival diminished. Family members feared the worst, and his wife reportedly began performing traditional prayers associated with mourning and farewell.

Unknown to rescuers, however, Dawa Sherpa had been slowly making his way down the mountain on his own.

His ordeal finally came to an end on Thursday when a mountain clean-up team spotted him descending near the Khumbu Icefall, close to Everest Base Camp.

The discovery stunned fellow climbers and rescue teams alike.

Thrall said that when he first saw reports on social media claiming Dawa Sherpa had been found alive, he initially dismissed them as false information.

“It completely defies expectations,” he said. “I had already met with his family to express my deepest sympathies. To learn that he survived is truly remarkable.”

He added that he was delighted for Dawa Sherpa and hoped to speak with him once he recovered.

Pemba Sherpa, Executive Director of 8K Expeditions, which coordinated the search operation, described the incident as an extraordinary example of self-rescue.

He said surviving alone for several days in such extreme conditions was nothing short of miraculous.

Following his rescue, Dawa Sherpa was transported to HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu, where he remains under medical care.

Doctors reported that he is conscious and receiving treatment for frostbite, cold-related injuries, dehydration, and physical trauma sustained during the ordeal.

Medical teams continue to monitor his condition in the hospital’s intensive care unit while conducting further assessments.

His daughter, Mhendo Lhamo Sherpa, said her father was able to recognize family members and communicate with them during a hospital visit.

She expressed relief and happiness at his survival after days of uncertainty.

The rescue comes during Everest’s busiest climbing season on record. More than 1,000 climbers have successfully reached the summit this year, according to reports.

Despite the record number of ascents, the mountain continues to present significant dangers, with at least five fatalities recorded during the current season.

Dawa Sherpa’s survival is now being celebrated as one of the most remarkable Everest rescue stories in recent years, highlighting both the extreme risks of high-altitude climbing and the resilience required to endure them.