VIDEO: Tourist miraculously survives six days in Everest's 'death zone' without oxygen or food
Dawa Sherpa, a 57-year-old Nepalese Sherpa also known as Hillary Dawa Sherpa, survived a near-impossible ordeal—he spent six days on the slopes of Everest without supplemental oxygen, water, or food supplies.
The man went missing on May 30 during a spring climb to the world’s highest peak. For nearly a week, he was presumed dead, as he was at an altitude of over 7,000 meters, where the human body quickly becomes exhausted due to critically low oxygen levels.
It wasn’t until June 4 that the Sherpa was found near the Khumbu Glacier. He crawled down on his own toward base camp, after which he was evacuated by helicopter to Kathmandu.
Doctors diagnosed him with severe dehydration, frostbite, and a broken hip.
Dawa Sherpa shortly after being found alive this morning on Everest, June 4, 2026 NPT. Video ©: Mingmar Sherpa. pic.twitter.com/MHSlz0kEEb
— Everest Today (@EverestToday) June 4, 2026
According to the climber himself, after losing contact with the group, he was left without oxygen tanks or food.
“I didn’t think I would survive. The oxygen ran out, and I was left behind,” Dawa Sherpa said.
To survive, he chewed snow and ice to get water and ate the last bits of food he found in his own pockets. Despite his injuries and exhaustion, he managed to start the descent on his own.
Mountain expedition representatives called this case one of the most remarkable in Everest history.
“His survival and self-guided descent is one of the most incredible stories we’ve seen on Everest,” 8K Expeditions stated.
After the rescue, the Sherpa’s family accused the expedition organizers of delaying the start of the search operation. The company, however, attributed the delay to difficult weather conditions.
Source: The Independent.
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