Against All Odds: In Heroic Rescue, Sherpa Saves Malaysian Climber From Everest's 'Death Zone'

A Malaysian climber was rescued by a sherpa guide who brought him down from Mount Everest in a "very rare" high-altitude rescue, according to a government official. Here's what happened.?

Sherpa saves Malaysian climber from 'Death Zone'

On May 18, 30-year-old Gelje Sherpa was leading a Chinese client to the summit of Everest at 8,849 metres (29,032 feet) when he noticed the Malaysian climber clinging to a rope and shivering in the "death zone," where temperatures can drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius (86F) or lower.

Over the course of nearly six hours, Gelje dragged the climber 600 metres (1,900 feet) from the Balcony area to the South Col, where Nima Tahi Sherpa, another guide, joined the rescue effort.?

"We carried the climber in turns on our backs to camp III," Gelje added. "We wrapped him in a sleeping mat, dragged him on the snow or carried him in a sledge."He was then transported from the 23,500-foot-high (7,162-meter) camp three to base camp by helicopter using a long queue.

The Malaysian climber then reportedly blocked the sherpa on Instagram

Soon after the story broke, Twitter user?Visakan Veerasamy shared, in a series of tweets, that the climber had blocked the sherpa on Instagram.?

"I would've assumed that having one's life saved like this would be a humbling experience, one of profound gratitude," he explained.

Esquire Middle East reported: "After recovering, Ravi did media interviews, posted about the story on Instagram, but never once gave credit to Gelje, let alone thanked him.When people started to comment about the incident and the lack of credit, Ravi responded by blocking Gelje."

Rescuing climbers is an extremely difficult task?

According to Department of Tourism official Bigyan Koirala, "rescuing climbers at that altitude is almost impossible."?It's an extremely uncommon procedure. In order to save the climber, Gelje claimed he persuaded his Chinese client to abandon his ascent of the peak and return to the base.?

"Saving one life is more important than praying at the monastery," declared Gelje, a devoted Buddhist. The Malaysian climber's logistics provider, Tashi Lakhpa Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks, declined to be identified, citing the privacy of his client. Last week, a ticket to Malaysia was booked for the climber.?

Reuters

?For the climbing season, which ran from March to May this year,?Nepal?awarded a record 478 permits for Everest. Bigyan Koirala, a representative of the Department of Tourism, asserts that "rescuing climbers at that altitude is almost impossible."? ?

It's a very unusual operation. Gelje claimed he convinced his?Chinese?client to give up his climb of the peak and head back to the base in order to save the climber. Gelje, a devout Buddhist, said, "Saving one life is more important than praying at the monastery."?

Tashi Lakhpa Sherpa of Seven Summit?Treks, who handled the logistics for the Malaysian climber, declined to be named due to his client's right to anonymity. The climber had a trip to Malaysia planned last week.? ?

What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments.

(h/t: Esquire Middle East/The Guardian)

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