Hillary Dawa Mount Everest News: Sherpa Guide Presumed Dead Crawls Back to Base Camp After 6 Days Alone
Sherpa guide Hillary Dawa Sherpa, who was presumed dead after disappearing on Mount Everest, has been found alive after surviving nearly six days alone in extreme conditions without food or bottled oxygen. The 52-year-old was discovered crawling near the Khumbu Icefall and later airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu. His survival has been hailed as one of the most remarkable stories of the 2026 Everest climbing season.
A Sherpa climbing guide who was feared dead on Mount Everest after disappearing for nearly a week has been found alive and rescued after surviving alone in extreme high-altitude conditions without food or bottled oxygen. The remarkable survival of 52-year-old Hillary Dawa Sherpa has stunned the mountaineering community and brought relief to his family, who had already begun funeral rites after losing contact with him.
Hillary Dawa was last seen on May 29 above Camp 3 at an altitude of 7,060 metres (23,163 feet) while descending the world's highest peak. After six days without radio contact or any confirmed sightings, hopes of finding him alive had faded as the Everest climbing season came to an end. Mount Everest Tragedy: Indian Climbers Arun Kumar Tiwari and Sandeep Are Die Due to Exhaustion During Descent.
Hillary Dawa Shepra Returns to Everest Base Camp SafelyÂ
We are all relieved and grateful that Dawa Sherpa has miraculously survived and returned alive after days alone on Mt Everest. But while we celebrate the fact that he is alive, many serious questions remain unanswered.
Why was Dawa Sherpa left behind high on the mountain in the… pic.twitter.com/sfSUthirgr
— Poornima Shrestha (@poornimashresth) June 5, 2026
Hillary Dawa Sherpa Went Missing During Descent From Everest
According to accounts from fellow climbers, Hillary Dawa became separated from his client and climbing team during a difficult descent from the mountain. The guide, who worked for Kathmandu-based Himalayan Traverse, was reportedly descending with a Polish client after an unsuccessful summit attempt.
British climber Chris Thrall, one of the last people to see Hillary Dawa before he disappeared, said the guide had stopped to rest during the descent from Camp 4. "I turned and I said, ‘Hillary are you ok brother?’ And he said ‘yes, fine Chris, please go’," Thrall recalled in a video shared online. Thrall said it was not unusual for experienced Sherpas to pause during descents and that he expected Hillary Dawa to catch up later. Mount Everest Climbers Halted at Base Camp Due to Massive Unstable Ice Block.
Found Crawling Through the Khumbu Icefall
The situation took a dramatic turn on Thursday when members of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) spotted Hillary Dawa crawling through the Khumbu Icefall. The rescue team immediately provided food and water before bringing him down to safety.
Lama Kazi Sherpa of the SPCC told Reuters that the team located him above Base Camp near the icefall and helped transport him to safety. He was later airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu, where he received treatment for frostbite and other complications. Videos circulating on social media showed Hillary Dawa being assisted down the mountain before later arriving at a hospital in the Nepalese capital.
The rescue came as a shock to Hillary Dawa's family, who had already begun mourning his presumed death. "When we first heard about it (the rescue), we could not be sure if that person was indeed our father," his daughter, Mendo Lhamu, told the Associated Press.
"So to be certain we asked for photos to be sent and then only we were sure and very happy." The emotional reunion has become one of the most talked-about stories of the 2026 Everest climbing season.
In comments made after his rescue, Hillary Dawa reportedly said he had slipped and fallen into a crevasse near Camp 1 at around 6,000 metres (19,800 feet). According to local media reports, he spent two days trapped inside the crevasse before managing to free himself and continue his descent.
The account has prompted questions within the mountaineering community about why no dedicated ground search operation was launched after he was reported missing. Search helicopters reportedly looked for signs of the climber earlier in the week but were unable to locate him.
The rescue occurred during what has been described as Everest's busiest climbing season on record. More than 1,000 climbers reportedly reached the summit from the mountain's southern route this season, including a record 274 climbers on a single day on May 20.
The season was also marked by images of climbers waiting in long queues in the so-called "death zone," where oxygen levels are too low for prolonged human survival without supplemental oxygen.
"What should have been five days to the summit and back took us 11 days. That’s how challenging the conditions were," Thrall said, describing the difficult weather and climbing conditions encountered on the mountain.
Beyond the extraordinary survival story, the incident has renewed attention on the risks faced by Sherpa guides who support commercial climbing expeditions on Everest. The growth of commercial mountaineering in recent years has increased demand for high-altitude workers, many of whom take on some of the mountain's most dangerous tasks, including route preparation, rope fixing and rescue operations.
For many in Nepal's mountaineering community, Hillary Dawa's survival has been viewed as extraordinary. "This is nothing short of a miracle surviving so many days on the mountains facing such harsh condition," said Ang Tshering Sherpa.
As Hillary Dawa continues his recovery in Kathmandu, questions about mountain safety, rescue protocols and the welfare of high-altitude workers are likely to remain part of the conversation long after the climbing season ends.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 06, 2026 08:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
