Records & People

Missing for Six Days on Everest, With No Food, Water or Oxygen — How Dawa Sherpa Survived

A 52-year-old Everest guide vanished at 24,600 feet after losing his client on the descent. Six days later, a garbage-collection crew spotted him…

By Laxman Rawal · Aug 20, 2026

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For six days in early summer 2026, nobody knew if Hillary Dawa Sherpa was alive. The 52-year-old mountain guide had vanished above Everest Base Camp with no food, no water and no supplemental oxygen — and when he was finally found, he wasn't walking. He was…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

What this means for trekkers

What this means for you Dawa's ordeal happened to a professional guide, not a first-timer — which is exactly why it matters. The Khumbu is unforgiving even for people who know it best. It's why we brief every guest on our guides' rescue protocol before a boot…

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

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