High on the unforgiving slopes of Mount Everest, where oxygen thins and survival itself becomes uncertain, a story of extraordinary endurance has stunned the mountaineering world. Dawa Sherpa, a 57-year-old Nepali guide, has survived six days alone in the mountain’s most perilous zone after being presumed dead by his team and even his family.
Here is a photo of Dawa Sherpa who was found alive this morning, 04.06.2026 NPT, near Crampon Point on Everest while crawling toward base camp. Frostbitten, exhausted, and severely weakened, he miracolously survived alone for days after disappearing above Camp III. pic.twitter.com/YfHfCSvKmp
— Everest Today (@EverestToday) June 4, 2026
Dawa Sherpa was last seen above Camp 3, at around 7,500m (24,600ft), while coming down the mountain after summiting. He was eventually found alive, crawling toward Base Camp, in what rescuers and fellow climbers are calling nothing short of a miracle.
A Descent That Turned Into a Fight for Survival
Dawa Sherpa is a climbing guide, and he was on one such mission. He got separated from his client and team high on Mount Everest, was presumed dead after vanishing during the season’s final descent, and stranded without food or bottled oxygen.
His team continued downward, prioritising another climber in distress, leaving him alone on the mountain. The climbing season was ending and operations were winding down. Soon enough, the fixed ladders across the treacherous Khumbu Icefall were dismantled.
With no radio contact and no trace of him for nearly a week in the death zone, the worst was assumed. Back home, his family began funeral rites, mourning a man believed lost to the mountain. Then, in a moment that defied belief, he was spotted alive, crawling down through the ice after enduring days of isolation, starvation and near-certain death.
Dawa Sherpa insists he never went missing
According to him, he was forced to stay behind during descent after his oxygen supply ran out near Camp 3, at an altitude of around 7,500 metres. At such heights, even basic movement becomes exhausting, and without supplemental oxygen, the body begins to shut down.
For the first two days, he had nothing to eat or drink. He survived by chewing ice despite the pain it caused his teeth. Later, he found a few chocolates in his pocket, which became his only source of energy. Melting ice provided minimal hydration.
Weak, disoriented and battling extreme cold, he began inching his way down the mountain.
Trapped in Ice, Rescued by Chance
His ordeal worsened when he fell into a crevasse, where he remained trapped for nearly two and a half days. With no clear way out and little strength left, survival seemed unlikely.
In a twist of fate, an avalanche sent snow into the crevasse, partially filling it and giving him a foothold to climb out. Using nearby ropes, he resumed his descent, navigating dangerous terrain through the night.
Another avalanche struck during his journey down, but he pressed on, determined to reach safety.
Found Crawling Toward Base Camp
After nearly a week alone in one of the harshest environments on Earth, Dawa Sherpa was finally spotted near the Khumbu Icefall by a team tasked with cleaning up the mountain.
Those who found Hillary Dawa were members of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), which sets the routes, ropes and ladders through the Khumbu Icefall at the start of the season, and is in charge of removing waste from the mountain once climbers have left.
Lama Kazi Sherpa, of the SPCC, told Reuters that his team located Hillary Dawa above Base Camp near the icefall and brought him down to safety.
They carried him down to Base Camp, from where he was airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment.
Dawa Sherpa speaks to family from Surke after 7 days alone on Everest — Miraculous Survival | Exclusive Video
Report by The Tourism Times. Video Credit: Rescue team#DawaSherpa #MiraculousSurvivor #EverestSurvival #SherpaSurvival #MountEverest #KhumbuIcefall #SPCC #Nepal pic.twitter.com/CB4rIyrdMT
— The Tourism Times (@TheTourismTimes) June 4, 2026
He is currently being treated for dehydration, frostbite and a fractured bone, but doctors say his condition is stable and improving.
Dawa Sherpa, also known as Hillary Dawa Sherpa after famed mountaineer Edmund Hillary, was “slowly sliding through” the Khumbu Icefall toward Base Camp when he was found, Pemba Sherpa, the executive director of 8K Expeditions which was overseeing search efforts, reportedly told the BBC
“Dawa managed to survive against all odds for days. It’s nothing short of a miracle,” Pemba Sherpa said. “This is a true self-rescue.”
Five people have died so far in this year’s climbing, three of them Nepalis who were involved in the Everest preparations, according to news agency AFP. More than 1,000 reached the Everest summit this season, making it the busiest on record.
Family in Mourning, Then Disbelief
Back in Kathmandu, his family had already begun performing last rites, believing he had died on the mountain. News of his survival came as a shock.
His wife, Damu Sherpa, said she could not believe her eyes when she saw him alive. His daughter later confirmed that he was conscious, speaking and recognised his family.
The emotional whiplash from grief to relief has resonated deeply within Nepal’s Sherpa community.
A Rare Story in a Deadly Landscape
Mount Everest continues to be one of the most dangerous places on Earth despite modern climbing technology. More than 300 climbers have died on its slopes since records began, and this season alone has already seen multiple fatalities.
Dawa Sherpa’s survival stands out not just for its improbability, but for the sheer willpower it represents. Climbers and expedition leaders have described it as a “true self-rescue,” underscoring the resilience and experience that likely saved his life.
In a place often defined by loss, this is a rare story of survival against overwhelming odds.
