A Sherpa saved a Mount Everest climber from “certain death” after carrying him to safety for six hours.
Gelje Sherpa strapped Malaysian Ravichandran Tharumalingam to his back after finding him in the mountain’s “death zone”.
The Sherpa was guiding a Chinese client to the summit when he spotted Mr Tharumalingam in grave danger.
Temperatures there can dip to -30C or lower, and oxygen levels are so low that climbers can last only a few minutes without the help of breathing apparatus.
Mr Gelje said:
“The climber had nothing left 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.”
Over six hours, Mr Gelje took the stricken climber 1,900 feet down from the Balcony area to the South Col.
Nima Tahi Sherpa, another guide, then joined the rescue.
He said: “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 then lifted him down to base camp.
Mr Bigyan Koirala, an official with the department of tourism, said:
“This was a very rare operation.
“It is almost impossible to rescue climbers at that altitude.”
The rescued climber later caused outrage when he thanked his sponsor for the rescue – and not the Sherpa who saved his life.
He posted to Instagram:
“I am alive today because I had the best and dedicated partners – the 14th Peals Expedition Co and Global Rescue Ins.”
Mr Tharumalingam’s failure to thank Mr Gelje touched a nerve in a community where the critical efforts of local guides and porters are often overlooked.
One local man wrote:
“You should be ashamed of yourself.
“You are a disgrace to the country.
“Throw your passport away.
“Why is it so damn hard to appreciate your helper?”
A dozen climbers have died on Everest this year – the most for a decade.
