A Nepali climbing guide named Hillary Dawa Sherpa, also known simply as Dawa Sherpa, has amazed the world with his survival on Mount Everest. The experienced Sherpa, in his early 50s, went missing for six days and was feared dead. He was found alive on June 4, 2026, near Base Camp after crawling down the dangerous Khumbu Icefall.
Dawa disappeared around May 29-30 while descending from high on the mountain after a successful summit push. He had been guiding a client when he got left behind in the harsh upper sections, near or above Camp 3 at around 7,500 metres. The “death zone” has very little oxygen, freezing temperatures, and strong winds. Without extra food or oxygen, most people cannot survive long there.
Alone and exhausted, Dawa showed incredible strength. He slowly slid and crawled down the icy slopes of the Khumbu Icefall without fixed ropes. A cleanup team from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) spotted him crawling near Crampon Point in the morning. He suffered from severe frostbite and dehydration, but was awake and responding.
Rescue workers quickly airlifted him to a hospital in Kathmandu for treatment. Doctors say he is stable. His family had already started funeral rituals, thinking he was gone forever. Now they are overjoyed to have him back.
Rescue officials and fellow climbers call his self-rescue a miracle and “against all odds.” Sherpas are known for their toughness and knowledge of the Himalayas, but surviving six days alone at such heights is very rare.
