In the summer of 2012 the icy slopes of Mount Everest saw an act of sacrifice and courage that has been enshrined forever in the annals of mountaineering history. In these times of intolerance and hostility among people of different faiths and different nationalities, it is refreshing to come across examples of persons transcending these divisions and displaying qualities of humanity, grace and kindness that all humans should possess.
Although this incident took place years ago, it is still talked about and discussed by many people who take part in mountain climbing.
The protagonist
The main protagonist of this tale is one of Israel’s most accomplished mountain climbers named Nadav Ben Yehuda who is now 36 years old but was 24 when this incident happened.
Yehuda is not just a mountain climber but also a trained search-and-rescue worker, professional photographer and public speaker. Among Israeli mountaineers he has climbed more high peaks than anyone else. He has also been involved in numerous rescue missions at high altitude all over the world including one in the midst of cyclone Hudhud in 2014.
Prior to that, in 2012, when he was on his first expedition to Mount Everest, he was happy and excited. He was set to become the youngest person from his country to scale the world’s highest peak. Everything was going well and after a few days of trekking and climbing, Yehuda and his team launched the final effort.
After a while during this last phase, Yehuda found himself just 300 metres below the summit. He could see the top of the peak. It would take him a little more effort to reach the top and create history among his countrymen.
Notices an injured climber
But that was when he noticed a climber from another expedition lying in the snow. The man was injured and exhausted from the climbing effort. There was none to help him and the man seemed to have given up hope of survival. He was just lying beside a cliff and waiting for death.
When Yehuda saw the sight he was moved. It did not take him long to make a decision. In less than a minute he decided to give up his dream and rescue this injured man who later turned out to be a climber from Turkey named Aydin Irmak. Yehuda had already seen the bodies of some climbers who had died but this man was still alive and Yehuda was determined that he would not allow this man to die.
Climbers stepped over dead bodies
He said later: “On the way up, I passed two bodies. They were already dead. Shockingly the climbers who were following them just stepped over the dead bodies and continued on their way to the top. But when I saw Irmak I recognised him. I had seen him earlier in the camp. When I went near him I found that he was still alive. He had no oxygen cylinders, no crampons and his helmet was missing. I knew that if I walked past him he would surely die. I realised that I must save him. So I began carrying and dragging him to make the descent. At one point my own oxygen mask broke.”
No one responded
“I shouted at the others to help me but no one responded. He was very heavy so it took us nine hours before I managed to bring him down to a lower and safer altitude. Whenever he was in pain he screamed and thrashed about and it made the job more difficult.”
But after the nine hour ordeal, when Yehuda had brought Irmak to a camp, they were both in bad condition. They were evacuated by a helicopter and taken to a hospital in Kathmandu. Both Irmak and Yehuda were suffering from frostbite. In severe cases of frostbite, the victim’s frozen fingers, toes or limbs have to be amputated. Luckily for the duo their limbs did not have to be amputated.
The correct choice
Yehuda said: “I was faced with a choice–either to be the youngest Israeli to climb Mount Everest and attain fame or to try and bring a climber down from the mountain. I chose the second option. I thank everyone who trained me in rescue work. That gave me enough strength to come down the mountain myself and also bring down the one in need of help.”
His gesture was in keeping with the highest traditions of sportsmanship and sacrifice. During the year 2012, a total number of 11 climbers died while trying to climb Everest. The number would have increased by one more if Yehuda had not thrown away his dream and jumped to the rescue. For his courage and sacrifice, Yehuda was awarded a Presidential Medal of Honor.
Later he continued his climbing and rescuing career. In October 2014, Yehuda was roped in by the Nepali authorities for rescue missions during a snowstorm disaster in the Himalayas. The catastrophe resulted in the death of 43 people while 50 went missing and 175 were wounded. In the midst of it all, Yehuda and his companions risked their own lives to rescue people. Their deeds and principles are a beacon of hope for all those who believe in humanitarian values over personal belief chasms.
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