Sherpa Guide Found Alive After Crawling Near Everest Base Camp

A Nepali climbing guide was found alive Thursday morning on Mount Everest after crawling down snowy slopes near base camp, rescuers said. The 52-year-old guide, identified as Dawa Sherpa, had been missing since around May 29 while descending the mountain. His client reached base camp, but Dawa did not.

A cleaning crew from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee spotted him near the Khumbu Icefall just above base camp. The crew carried him to safety and provided food and water. A rescue helicopter then flew him to a hospital, according to Pemba Sherpa of 8K Expeditions, which coordinated the search.

Organizers faced delays in assembling a ground team after he went missing. Dawa works for the Kathmandu-based company Himalayan Traverse and was guiding a Polish climber. He is from the town of Okhaldhunga, south of Everest. More than 1,000 climbers and guides reached the summit this May, marking the busiest season on record.

The season began late after crews cleared a massive ice block above base camp. The 8,849-meter peak was first climbed on May 29, 1953, by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.