Nepali mountaineering guide Dawa Sherpa, 52, survived six days stranded on Mount Everest after being presumed dead by his family and colleagues.. According to an interview from his hospital bed in Kathmandu, reported by the source, he stayed alive by chewing ice and eating chocolates he found in his pocket. He was rescued by a clean-up team from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, which spotted him crawling near the Khumbu Icefall just above base camp.

The 52-year-old guide's last sighting on May 29

Dawa Sherpa was last seen on May 29 descending from the summit with his Polish client, as the source reports. His oxygen supply ran out during the descent, forcing him to stop. 'As the oxygen ran out, I couldn't walk,' Dawa said in the interview. He described the first two days without food, then began chewing ice, which pained his teeth, before finding chocolates in his pocket that provided some energy. At one point he fell into a crevasse and was trapped for two and a half days, unable to find a way out.

How the clean-up team from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee found him

The team was removing ladders, ropes, and other equipment from the route after the climbing season, according to the source. They found Dawa crawling near the Khumbu Icefall, just above base camp. He was quickly carried down to safety, given food and water, and later airlifted to HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu, where he is being treated for dehydration, frostbite, and a fractured bone.

The family's funeral rituals already underway in Kathmandu

Dawa's family in Kathmandu had already begun funeral rituals, believing he had died on the mountain. His wife, Damu Sherpa,and teenage daughter, Mendo Lhamu, had started the multi-day ceremony. 'We first heard that he was still alive on the local news and from a person we know who called with the news that he is being brought down,' said Damu. Mendo Lhamu added, 'When we first heard about it, we could not be sure if that person was indeed our father. So to be certain we asked for photos to be sent and then only we were sure and very happy.'

Why Sherpa resilience stands out in the busiest season ever on Everest

This May was the busiest climbing season ever on Everest, with over 1,000 climbers and guides scaling the peak,according to the source. The season started late due to a massive ice block that took two weeks to clear. ang Tshering Sherpa, a leading figure in the mountaineering community, said, 'This is nothing short of a miracle surviving so many days on the mountains facing such harsh conditions. Sherpas are built tough growing up in the mountains. If there was someone else in his place they might not have survived.' The report highlights the extreme risks climbers face and the remarkable resilience of the Sherpa people.

Who is the unnamed Polish client, and what happened to him?

The source reports that Dawa was descending from the summit with his Polish client, but does not name that client or describe his fate. The article also leaves open the question of why Dawa's oxygen ran out — whether it was a malfunction, depletion, or other issue. Additionally, the exact location of the crevasse where he was trapped for two and a half days is not specified, which could provide context on the rescue effort.