Sherpa missing for a week on Everest found crawling toward base camp after his family begins funeral rites

A Sherpa usher whose household had already begun ceremonial rituals aft helium vanished connected Mount Everest was recovered live and crawling toward basal campy astir a week later, surviving unsocial connected the world's highest highest without food, h2o oregon supplemental oxygen successful what rescuers called "nothing abbreviated of a miracle."

Dawa Sherpa, 52, disappeared astir May 29 portion descending Everest aft turning backmost abbreviated of the acme with a Polish climber helium was guiding. The lawsuit made it safely to basal camp, but Dawa had not, triggering fears that helium had died connected the mountain.

A cleanup unit from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee recovered him Thursday greeting crawling done the treacherous Khumbu Icefall, 1 of the astir unsafe sections of Everest, conscionable supra basal camp, Pemba Sherpa of 8K Expeditions told The Associated Press.

Rescuers carried him to safety, gave him nutrient and water, and flew him by chopper to a infirmary successful Kathmandu, wherever his woman and girl were waiting.

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Medics instrumentality Dawa Sherpa, a upland usher who had been missing for respective days successful the Everest region, for attraction aft helium arrived astatine HAMS Hospital successful Kathmandu, Nepal, connected June 4, 2026. (Niranjan Shrestha/AP)

By that point, his household had already mislaid hope.

His teenage daughter, Mendo Lhamu Sherpa, told the outlet that relatives were successful the mediate of ceremonial rites erstwhile quality of the rescue broke.

"When we archetypal heard astir it (the rescue), we could not beryllium definite if that idiosyncratic was so our father," she said. "So to beryllium definite we asked for photos to beryllium sent and past lone we were definite and precise happy."

Medics instrumentality Dawa Sherpa, a upland usher who had been missing for respective days successful the Everest region, for attraction aft helium arrived astatine HAMS Hospital successful Kathmandu, Nepal, connected June 4, 2026. (Niranjan Shrestha/AP)

His wife, Damu Sherpa, added that the household learned helium was live done section quality reports and telephone calls from friends.

"We archetypal heard that helium was inactive live connected the section quality and from a idiosyncratic we cognize who called with the quality that ... helium is being brought down," she said.

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Dawa was inactive wearing his climbing overgarment erstwhile rescuers recovered him. His household said helium is being treated for frostbite and different complications but is conscious and capable to speak.

"He recognized maine … is bully and speaks," his girl told Reuters. "We are happy."

The Nepal Mount Everest hiking institution called his endurance extraordinary.

"Dawa survived unsocial for astir a week without food, water, oregon supplemental oxygen navigating the treacherous Khumbu Icefall (even aft the fixed ladders were removed for the season)," the institution said successful a societal media post. "This is thing abbreviated of a miracle."

Tents are acceptable up astatine Everest Base Camp successful the Solukhumbu district, besides known arsenic the Everest region, Nepal, connected April 13, 2026. (Purnima Shrestha/Reuters)

It was unclear however Dawa became separated from his lawsuit during the descent oregon wherefore determination was a hold successful launching a hunt squad erstwhile helium went missing past week. Helicopters were yet dispatched but failed to find him.

His rescue came astatine the extremity of a record-breaking Everest climbing season. More than 1,000 climbers and guides reached the acme this twelvemonth aft Nepal issued a grounds 494 permits.

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Officials person said 5 climbers and guides died connected Everest during the season, according to Reuters.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.