Nepali climbing guide Dawa Sherpa, aged between 52 and 57, was found alive on June 4 near Base Camp on Mount Everest after being missing for six days following his summit on May 29 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Nicknamed "Hillary," Dawa had gone missing above Camp 3 at about 7,500 meters (24,600 feet) during his descent, after reaching the summit alongside British climber Chris Thrall and a Polish client [1, 5, 3].

Dawa was last seen alive sitting to rest on his backpack above Camp 3. Chris Thrall recalled, "Dawa sat down for a rest with his backpack. And I turned and I said, 'Hillary, are you okay, brother?' He said, 'Yes, yes, fine Chris, please go, go!'" Thrall descended to assist the struggling Polish climber and lost track of Dawa [1, 5, 3, 6].

Presumed dead, Dawa’s family in Kathmandu began funeral rituals and death prayers. His wife, Damu Sherpa, said, "We were very happy to hear the news, we had given up hope. We also began puja (death prayers) yesterday" [3]. On June 3, Thrall posted an obituary believing Dawa had died [1, 5].

Dawa survived by chewing ice and eating chocolates he found in his pockets while crawling about 12 kilometers down from roughly 25,000 feet elevation [2, 4, 6]. He was severely dehydrated and suffered frostbite and a fractured bone [4, 7]. He spent about two and a half days trapped in a crevasse and escaped after an avalanche partially filled it with snow [2, 4].

After being discovered by a Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee cleaning team, Dawa was airlifted to Kathmandu’s HAMS Hospital where he was admitted to the ICU. His condition was stable and improving from dehydration [3, 8, 9].

More than 1,000 climbers reached Everest’s summit this season, the busiest on record. However, at least five mountaineers died [1, 9, 4]. Pemba Sherpa commented, "This is a true self-rescue. Dawa managed to survive against all odds for days. It's nothing short of a miracle." [1]

On June 5, Dawa gave a BBC interview detailing his struggle, saying, "I didn't think I would be alive. I thought I would perish this way." [2, 4]

Rescue teams and medical staff continue to monitor Dawa’s recovery in Kathmandu ICU after his extraordinary survival on Everest.