A Nepali guide has been rescued after being stranded for six days near the summit of Mount Everest in a dramatic high-altitude operation that involved helicopters and a team of elite climbers. The guide, identified as 35-year-old Phurba Sherpa, was attempting to fix ropes on the mountain when he was caught in a severe storm and lost his way. He was reported missing on May 12 after failing to return to Camp 4 at 7,900 metres.
Rescuers located him on May 18 at an altitude of 8,000 metres, suffering from severe frostbite and exhaustion. A joint effort by the Nepali army and private operators used a helicopter to drop supplies and a team of climbers who reached him and brought him down to safety. Sherpa is now receiving treatment at a hospital in Kathmandu, where doctors say he will survive but may lose some fingers.
The rescue highlights the extreme risks faced by workers on the world's highest peak, where critics say commercial operators often put profit before safety. Sherpa’s family said he was the sole breadwinner and praised the rescuers for their bravery.
