Sherpa says rescuing climber from Mount Everest ‘death zone’ was ‘hardest ever’
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Nepali sherpa carried a stricken stranger for six hours 1,900ft down Mount Everest after discovering the person dangling within the “death zone”.
Gelje Sherpa, 30, was taking a shopper to the 29,032ft summit – the best on the planet – when he noticed the Malaysian clinging to a rope and shivering within the freezing air.
He was stranded within the space branded the “death zone” – the place temperatures can dip beneath -22F (-30C) and there’s little or no oxygen.
Gelje wrapped the climber in a sleeping mat and heroically hauled him 1,900 ft from the Balcony space to the South Col – the purpose between Mount Everest and Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest mountain.
The gruelling feat took round six hours till Nima Tahi Sherpa, one other information, joined the rescue.
Gelje stated: “We wrapped the climber in a sleeping mat, dragged him on the snow or carried him in turns on our backs to camp III.”
A helicopter utilizing a protracted line then lifted him from the 23,500ft excessive Camp III all the way down to base camp.
Gelje stated the climber had “nothing” left within the tank and was “about to die”.
“No one was helping him, no friends, no oxygen, no sherpas with him, no guides – so this is quite dangerous for him”, he instructed CNN.
Gelje added that the “massively difficult” rescue mission was the “hardest in my life”.
Before pulling off his life-saving rescue, Gelje stated he first needed to persuade his Chinese shopper to surrender his personal summit try and descend the mountain, saying it was extra vital for him to rescue the climber.
Nepal issued a document 478 permits for Everest throughout this yr’s March to May climbing season.
At least 12 climbers have died – the best quantity for eight years – and one other 5 are nonetheless lacking.