While Hillary Dawa Sherpa recovers in the hospital from injuries sustained during six days abandoned on Everest, his family has demanded compensation, and Nepal’s mountaineering authorities have opened an investigation into the outfitting company.
Hillary Dawa’s terrifying story has shocked the world and may force authorities to make changes if they wish to prevent something similar from happening again in the future.
Hillary Dawa’s state
The 52-year-old Sherpa was admitted to the hospital yesterday with grade II frostbite affecting both little fingers, grade I frostbite on his right thumb and middle finger, and a right medial femoral condyle fracture (the inside of the thigh bone where it meets the knee) with distal thigh intramuscular hematoma.
Today, doctors told The Tourism Times that he remains stable and is now better hydrated. Overall, he’s doing pretty well, bearing in mind what he survived during six days of struggle, alone on Everest.
Hillary Dawa was left behind as his team descended on the last day of the climbing season. There was no attempt by the employing company to search for or rescue him; he was left for dead. But he didn’t give up. Slowly, with no oxygen, food, or water, he made his way toward Base Camp. Finally, on June 4, a group of people collecting garbage at base camp found Hillary Dawa dragging himself down the glacier.
Hillary Dawa drinking soup at Everest Base Camp. Photo: SPCC
Crevasse fall, saved by avalanche
At first, Hillary Dawa could barely speak. However, he managed to describe how he had fallen into a crevasse at some 5,500m on the Khumbu Icefall, and spent two days there, waiting in vain for someone to rescue him. Eventually, an avalanche fell into the crevasse and, with fresh snow covering part of the hole, he managed to get out, according to Everest Chronicle.
Dawa’s miracle survival made headlines worldwide, but also brought attention to the shameful circumstances that forced him to struggle down the mountain alone. The episode has cast a shadow over what was supposed to be the most successful Everest season ever, with over a thousand summits.
Investigation ongoing
Nepal’s Department of Tourism has started an investigation into the operator that hired Hillary Dawa, a small company called Himalayan Traverse Adventures. The company is run by Dawa Sherpa (same name, different person) and his son Ang Phurba Sherpa.
It is not confirmed if Ang Phurba — who was in Base Camp while Hillary Dawa was missing — participated in the summit push and what his role was during the descent. It appears that the team’s two clients, Chris Thrall of the UK and Mariusz Chmielewski of Poland, had to descend on their own. Chmielewski (seen in the photo below on the summit of Island Peak) was already suffering from frostbite.
“Never in my life have I been in so many life-or-death situations in such a short time,” Chmielewski wrote on social media. “Descending at night in a snowstorm, searching for and pulling out fixed ropes, fog limiting visibility to 40 meters, avoiding crevasses, and slogging through the freshly snow-covered Khumbu Glacier at night were just some of the highlights of this expedition.”
Until yesterday, Chmielewski and Thrall believed Dawa had died. Chmielewski blamed “the numerous negligences of the agency I went with.”
Agency questioned
“We will investigate this incident in detail,” Department of Tourism director general Ramkrishna Lamichhane told EKantipur. “Where there are shortcomings, strict action will be taken according to the law, and if negligence is found, we will blacklist the company involved.”
Below is the latest social media post by Himalayan Traverse Adventures, posted soon after Thrall and a Sherpa (possibly Ang Phurba) summited Everest at 5:00 pm on May 28:
In a press release published today, the Nepal Mountaineering Association “strongly urges the Government of Nepal to establish an independent investigation” and to “hold accountable any individuals found responsible for actions that may have endangered the life of a fellow mountaineer.”
Press release by the Nepal Mountaineering Association
Family seeking justice
Yet, no one is as happy and angry at the same time as Damu Sherpa, Hillary Dawa’s wife. “I want justice,” she told the media at the gate of the hospital. “Dawa went missing on May 29, and we immediately contacted the concerned authorities for help, but all turned a deaf ear,” she told The Tourism Times. “The government is celebrating a record revenue of over 1 billion rupees it collected from Everest climbing this season, but why didn’t it respond to our calls?”
It is unknown if the Dawa family will begin legal action against the company.
Chris Thrall was the last person to see Hillary Dawa on the mountain. Thrall believed Hillary Dawa was dead and visited Dawa’s daughter (middle) and wife (right) in Kathmandu. Photo: Chris Thrall
Every year, there are voices within the Everest expedition industry advocating for a dedicated rescue service. Others believe each company should be responsible for the safety of its members. Whatever the method, action is required to improve the search and rescue systems for climbers in trouble, especially those most vulnerable: the local workers.
However, safety involves not only efficient rescue systems, but also sensible decision-making and climbing strategies. Hillary Dawa would have surely found some help if there were other Sherpas on the mountain, but his team started the summit push after everyone else had gone down or gone home, and continued despite the group’s extremely slow pace. To understand what happened, we need further details on the events leading up to May 29.
