Everest guide found alive after six days shares survival story in harsh conditions

An Everest guide who was presumed dead after going missing during a descent has been found alive six days later.

Dawa Sherpa, a Nepali mountain guide, was discovered by a cleanup team sliding down the slopes near Everest Base Camp after being missing for nearly a week. He was later airlifted to Kathmandu for urgent medical treatment.

Speaking to the BBC from hospital, Sherpa described how he survived in one of the harshest environments on Earth when his supplies ran out.

“I didn’t think I would be alive,” he said. “I thought I would perish this way.”

Sherpa explained that he did not “go missing” during the descent but became stranded after his oxygen supply ran out. He said he was forced to stay behind as conditions worsened high on the mountain.

“As the oxygen ran out, I couldn’t walk,” he explained. “I didn’t eat anything for the first two days. Then I began chewing ice. It hurt my teeth. I chewed the ice hard.”

He also said the chocolate he carried helped sustain him during the ordeal.

At one point, Sherpa said he fell into a crevasse and remained trapped for nearly two and a half days. He described how an avalanche later pushed snow into the gap, which ultimately helped him climb out.

After freeing himself, he continued descending slowly through the dangerous terrain, facing further avalanches before eventually reaching lower altitude near Everest Base Camp, where he was discovered by a waste collection team.

“They carried me down,” he said, recalling the moment he was finally rescued after nearly a week alone on the mountain.

Medical staff in Kathmandu have confirmed that Sherpa is being treated for dehydration, frostbite, and a fracture, but is now in stable condition and showing signs of recovery.