Surrey man honours Sherpa who saved his life on Mount Everest
Ajaypal Dhaliwal, a climber who was stranded on Mount Everest without oxygen, recently honored the Sherpa who saved his life. The rescue occurred during a dangerous descent where other members of his group unfortunately perished.
Why it matters
The story highlights the extreme risks of high-altitude mountaineering and the critical role of professional guides in life-or-death situations.
The climber said, for 23 minutes, he simply laid on the mountainside.
"I realized that I will not be able to make [it]," said Dhaliwal. "I was hallucinating that there was a helicopter."
On May 20, he was stuck 8,400 metres up the world's tallest peak with no oxygen in his tank.
But he lived to tell the tale, thanks to the kindness of a stranger, whom he honoured at a ceremony last weekend.
Ajaypal Dhaliwal took a video of himself standing at the top of Mount Everest on May 20. But he couldn't come down for more than 12 hours afterwards. (Submitted by Ajaypal Dhaliwal) Seattle-based mountain guide Mingma Tenzin Sherpa and his team were the ones who noticed Dhaliwal was struggling.
"[He] cannot stand up," said Sherpa. "And he's, like, hanging on the anchor."
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