A helicopter has finally airlifted Indian climber Piyali Basak from Makalu. It took three days to get Basak off the mountain. She spent over 24 hours without oxygen at an extreme altitude.
Pioneer Adventure sent three Sherpas to rescue her a day after she went missing. At that time, they managed to lower her to Camp 3. The following morning (yesterday), they bought her down to Camp 2, hoping a helicopter could reach her. Unfortunately, high winds thwarted the operation.
Today, the Sherpa team carried Basak to Advanced Base Camp, where she was finally evacuated.
“She is now at Lukla Hospital in stable condition and will be airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment later today,” Pioneer Adventure’s Nivesh Karki told the Himalayan Times.
Piyali Basak. Photo: Piyali Basak
Climber vanishes from Camp 4 on Everest
It has been a difficult week for Pioneer Adventure staff. In the last 24 hours on Everest, one of their clients has died and another gone missing.
Yesterday, Malaysian climber Askandar Bin Ampuar Jaacub fell ill near the summit and was unable to continue. “He was doing okay until the South Summit, with enough O2, but then he suddenly ran out of energy and needed help to go down,” Karki explained.
Another Malaysian client, Muhammad Hawari Bin Hashim, a 33-year-old deaf climber, was on his way back from the summit at around the same time. Hawari Bin Hashim’s Sherpa accompanied him to Camp 4 before immediately climbing back up near the summit to help Jaacub. Sadly, Jaacub died before the rescue team returned to Camp 4.
Back in Camp 4, Hawari was nowhere to be found. “We have already sent Sherpa to every camp, they’re searching since yesterday,” Karki told ExplorersWeb.
At the time of publication, he remains missing.
Malaysian Muhammad Hawari Bin Hashim. Photo: The Himalayan Times
