Sherpa Guide Found Alive After Six Days Missing in Everest’s Death Zone

Disappeared on May 29, 2026, Sherpa Guide Dawa Sherpa has miraculously appeared alive after 6 days. Climber and rescue officials are saying it is one of the most extraordinary survival stories in recent Everest history.

Dawa Sherpa, 52, was climbing Everest with other climbing groups, but after an unsuccessful summit attempt, he was returning. However, during the descent, he disappeared. Dawa was last seen at Yellow Band (7,200 m/23,622 ft) between Camo III and Camp IV. Other fellow climbers, though safely returned to Base Camp, were nowhere to be found. Expedition teams and families were concerned as there was no news even after 24 hours of his disappearance.

After being unfound for six days, even after a search by the rescue team, many thought they lost him in the Death Zone above 8,000 m due to extreme altitude, freezing temperatures, and a lack of oxygen. Dawa’s wife even started preparing for the funeral rites, as there was no hope.

However, on June 4, a cleanup team from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee discovered Dawa near the Khumbu Icefall. He was crawling and sliding through the snow toward Base Camp. After the sighting, the rescue team immediately airlifted him to a hospital in Kathmandu for treatment.

Medical officials have reported that there are no major issues found in his body, and only his hands suffered frostbite and exhaustion, so they are taking care of that as of now. He has remained conscious and was able to communicate with family members after arriving in Kathmandu.

Sherpa Guide Found Alive After Six Days Missing in Everest’s Death Zone

Expedition officials said Dawa survived in the harsh environment of Everest without any food, water, or supplemental oxygen for nearly a week. Operators have already started an investigation to find the circumstances surrounding Dawa Sherpa’s disappearance and survival. Questions remain about how he became separated from his climbing party and how he managed to endure six days alone on the world’s highest mountain. As of now, he is being treated at the hospital and waiting for recovery.

Dawa Sherpa Disappears at Death Zone

This expedition of Dawa Sherpa was to guide a Polish Climber to Mt.Everest. It was during the final phase of the spring Everest Climbing season. According to his expedition members, they were descending after the unsuccessful attempt at the Everest summit. They lost him below Camp IV on May 29. Dawa never arrived, even after his climber reached base camp safely.

Sherpa Disappears at Death Zone

The story of how Dawa got sperated with his group is also not clear. The place where he was last sighted was at Yellow Band above Camp 3. At this height, the oxygen level is extremely low, and sustaining human life for prolonged periods is nearly impossible without supplemental oxygen. Moreover, even if you come down condition are still brutal. Temperatures can plunge far below freezing, storms can appear without warning, and the human body rapidly deteriorates under the effects of extreme altitude.

So, when Dawa was not found even after many days, his family, expeditions, and rescue team all lost their hopes.

His family eventually began funeral rituals.

“We first heard that he was still alive on the local news,” his wife, Damu Sherpa, later told reporters after the rescue.

His daughter, Mendo Lhamu Sherpa, said the family was already in the second day of mourning ceremonies when news arrived that her father had been found alive.

“When we first heard about it, we could not be sure if that person was indeed our father,” she said. “So to be certain we asked for photos to be sent.“

Dawa Sherpa Came Back Alive after 6 Days from Everest

Just spending one whole day is already nerve-wracking; surviving nearly a week at Everest, Dawa has made his name in history. As currently he is being treated, the details of how Dawa Sherpa survived for 6 days without food and supplemental oxygen are unknown.

When Dawa was found crawling on Khumbu Icefall, the seasonal route and infrastructure had already begun to be removed. Every Everest climbing season, Sherpa guides and teams place ladders and fixed ropes across the dangerous sections of the route. When the climbing season comes to an end, they are dismantled. Still, Dawa was able to trace back the route and able to came back to Khumbu.

A member of 8k Expeditions who was part of the search team says, “Dawa was found by the climbing support team. He was crawling on the Khumbu Icefall slopes.”

When Dawa was found, his condition was not good as his hands were also frostbitten and he was completely exhausted. Thankfully, medical reports say that besides these, he is completely fine.

The whole story of Dawa is a miracle and worth remembering. To this day, Everest has claimed the lives of numerous climbers and guides. Surviving from the most dangerous sections of the South Col route to Everest’s summit, his determination is worth mentioning. At Everest, there are also other stories of survival, but it’s rare.

As of now, Sherpa Dawa is being treated and recovering at a hospital in Kathmandu with family by his side.