In an extraordinary story of survival that has stunned the global mountaineering community, a Nepali climbing guide declared missing and presumed dead on Mount Everest has emerged from six days stranded at lethal altitude, crawling back to base camp in a remarkable self-rescue.
Dawa Sherpa, an experienced veteran climber also known as Hillary Dawa Sherpa in honor of pioneering mountaineer Edmund Hillary, vanished on May 29 while assisting a Polish climber above Camp 3, at roughly 7,500 meters (24,600 feet) above sea level. At that extreme elevation, atmospheric oxygen levels drop to just a fraction of what is available at sea level, making multi-day survival nearly impossible. By all accounts, the climbing community had prepared for the worst, with most assuming Dawa had become the season’s latest climbing fatality.
That grim expectation shifted on Thursday, when a crew from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, tasked with cleaning waste from the mountain’s upper slopes, spotted Dawa moving slowly through the dangerous Khumbu Icefall, steadily descending toward Base Camp. When rescuers reached him, they confirmed he was in overall stable good condition despite his week-long ordeal at high altitude.
Pemba Sherpa, executive director of 8K Expeditions, the organizing company that led initial search operations, called the survival nothing short of extraordinary. “This is a true self-rescue,” Pemba explained in remarks to reporters. “Dawa managed to survive against all odds for days. It is nothing short of a miracle.”
The ordeal unfolded as Dawa accompanied a group of climbers descending from Camp 4, the highest campsite positioned just below Everest’s summit. Former British Royal Marine and climber Chris Thrall, who was part of the descending party, recalled that Dawa stopped to rest with his backpack as the group moved lower. When Thrall checked in on him, Dawa insisted he was fine and told the party to continue ahead. “This is nothing new, you know, I’d go ahead, he’d go ahead,” Thrall said in an Instagram tribute he posted Wednesday, when he still believed Dawa had died on the mountain. As Thrall continued down, he stopped to assist a struggling Polish climber, and the two continued their descent together. Dawa never caught up to the group.
After Dawa failed to arrive at lower camps, 8K Expeditions launched a extensive aerial search of the upper mountain, but crews were unable to locate any trace of the missing guide. Before his discovery, Dawa’s wife told Agence France-Presse she had already conducted last rite prayers for his soul, a devastating step families take when climbers are confirmed lost on the world’s highest peak.
This 2026 Everest spring climbing season has already made history for two stark reasons: it is the busiest season on record, with more than 1,000 climbers and guides successfully reaching the summit, but it has also recorded five fatalities so far. Three of those who died this season were Nepali workers involved in pre-season route preparation and logistics work on the mountain, according to AFP data. Dawa’s unlikely survival has brought a rare moment of joy and celebration to a climbing community already grappling with multiple losses this year.