Everest Sherpa rescue teams saved 52-year-old Dawa Sherpa near the Khumbu Icefall after he survived for a week without food or oxygen on Mount Everest in Nepal.
Dawa went missing between Camp III and Camp IV while descending with a Polish hiker after they failed to reach the summit. The client returned to base camp, and officials said it remained unclear how the pair became separated.
A Nepali Sherpa has been found alive on the slopes of Mount Everest after missing for six days without food or oxygen. Dawa Sherpa was reunited with his family, who had already begun funeral rituals. pic.twitter.com/6bqG73GvoY
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) June 4, 2026A team from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee found Dawa just above base camp during a post-season cleanup operation. Lama Kazi Sherpa of the committee said the guide and his client were the last climbers on the 8,849-metre peak this season.
The rescue team brought Dawa down safely and rushed him to hospital. His family said he was recovering while receiving treatment for frostbite and altitude-related complications.
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Government officials issued 494 Everest climbing permits this season, with about 1,000 climbers and guides attempting to reach the summit. Officials said five climbers died during the season.
