Everest Guide Found Alive After Nearly a Week Missing on the World’s Highest Mountain

In a survival story that has stunned the mountaineering world, veteran Nepali guide Dawa Sherpa was found alive after spending nearly a week missing on the slopes of Mount Everest. Rescuers and fellow climbers had largely given up hope, with his family even beginning funeral rites after believing he had perished on the world’s highest peak.

The 52-year-old Sherpa disappeared on May 29 while descending from Everest after a climbing expedition. He was last seen between Camp III and Camp IV, a notoriously dangerous section of the mountain often referred to as the “death zone” because of its extreme altitude and lack of oxygen.

A Week Alone on Mount Everest

After Dawa failed to return to base camp, search teams launched efforts to locate him. Harsh weather, difficult terrain, and the immense size of the mountain complicated rescue operations, and many feared the worst as days passed without any sign of him.

Against all odds, a cleanup crew from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee spotted Dawa crawling through the snow near the Khumbu Icefall, close to Everest Base Camp. The discovery shocked rescuers, who had been unable to locate him despite extensive searches.

Surviving Without Food or Supplemental Oxygen

According to reports, Dawa survived nearly a week without food and without bottled oxygen while enduring freezing temperatures and some of the harshest conditions on Earth. After being rescued, he was transported to a hospital in Kathmandu for treatment of frostbite, dehydration, and other injuries related to his ordeal.

Dawa later revealed that he survived by chewing ice for water and relying on small amounts of food he found in his pockets. He also managed to slowly descend thousands of feet despite severe exhaustion and injuries. His determination has been hailed as an extraordinary example of human endurance.

Family Had Already Begun Funeral Rites

Perhaps the most emotional part of the story is that Dawa’s family had already started funeral ceremonies after losing hope that he would return. The news that he was alive came as a complete shock and quickly spread throughout Nepal’s climbing community.

His survival has been described by fellow climbers and rescue experts as nothing short of miraculous, especially given the altitude, temperatures, and lack of supplies he faced during the ordeal.

A Reminder of Everest’s Dangers

The dramatic rescue has also renewed attention on the risks faced by Sherpa guides, who play a vital role in helping climbers reach the summit of Mount Everest. The 2026 climbing season has been one of the busiest on record, with more than 1,000 climbers and guides reaching the summit and several fatalities reported.

While Dawa Sherpa continues his recovery, his remarkable survival story is already being remembered as one of the most astonishing Everest rescues in recent years—a powerful testament to resilience, experience, and the human will to survive against impossible odds.