{"id":49614,"date":"2026-06-04T11:51:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T17:51:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=49614"},"modified":"2026-06-04T11:51:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T17:51:30","slug":"everest-2026-missing-sherpa-found-alive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2026\/06\/04\/everest-2026-missing-sherpa-found-alive\/","title":{"rendered":"Everest 2026: Missing Sherpa Found Alive"},"content":{"rendered":"

After six days isolated above base camp, Dawa “Hillary” Sherpa, 52, was found alive after rescuing himself. He had fallen into a crevasse near Camp 1 at around 19,500 feet, was trapped for two days, crawled out and then descended the Khumbu Icefall despite the ladders having been removed. He was found by members of the SPCC staff, Bhim Bhattarai and Durga Rai, in an extremely weak condition near Crampon Point, but conscious.\u00a0He has frostbite on his fingers, is verbal, and is now in a hospital in Kathmandu in good condition.<\/p>\n

8K Expeditions, which provided the permit but was not his guide, that was Himalayan Traverse, who has been strangely silent throughout this event, dispatched a helicopter search on June 2, but they did not see him. Dawa is reported to have seen the helicopter fly over him and wave, but was unseen.<\/p>\n

The Tourism Times<\/a> is reporting that the family of Dawa Sherpa has demanded stern action against those guilty of leaving Dawa alone in the death zone of Mt Everest for a week.\u00a0Damu Sherpa’s wife visited HAMS Hospital to see him and announced her intention to pursue legal action against those responsible for negligence. \u201cI seek justice,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n

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She strongly criticized the government for its delayed response in rescuing her husband. \u201cDawa went missing on May 29, and we immediately contacted authorities for help, but we received no response,\u201d she lamented. \u201cMeanwhile, the government boasts of a record revenue of over 1 billion rupees from Everest expeditions this season\u2014so why did they ignore our calls?\u201d she questioned.<\/p>\n

She also questioned what the reaction would have been if a foreign climber, not Dawa, had been left alone on Everest.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, Damu questioned the role of the team\u2019s liaison officer. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t the liaison officer act promptly to find Dawa, despite the government officer accepting thousands of dollars from the handling company?\u201d she asked. \u201cThis is not just about Dawa; it\u2019s a show of disrespect to all Sherpa climbers who risk their lives to ensure their foreign clients\u2019 success on Mount Everest,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Background\u00a0<\/h3>\n

On May 29, Dawa Sherpa, aka Hillary Sherpa, was last seen near Camp III after his client, a Polish climber, developed frostbite and then descended with another Sherpa. Dawa was to follow but never arrived, and his disappearance was reported only later. Because the Icefall Doctors had removed the ladders before his death was reported, helicopters were the only option to search for him, but the MD of the Nepali guide company, Himalayan Traverse, did not have one dispatched for unknown reasons, according to multiple media reports. As of today, June 2, there are no resources on the mountain to conduct a search. Dawa Sherpa’s whereabouts remain unknown.<\/p>\n

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The Podcast on alanarnette.com<\/h2>\n

You can listen to #everest2026 podcasts<\/strong> on Spotify<\/a>, Apple Podcasts<\/a>, Breaker<\/a>, Pocket Casts<\/a>, RadioPublic<\/a>, Anchor<\/a>, and more. Simply search for “Alan Arnette” on your preferred podcast platform.<\/p>\n

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Previous Everest 2026 Season Coverage Posts<\/h2>\n