The earlier discussion on John Karakauer's books reminded me of the survival of Beck Weathers in "Into Thin Air." What an inspiring individual. Here is a brief bio on where he is at and what he has become. BTW, the bio doesn't really do justice on how harrowing the climb down to Camp 4 was, especially considering his condition:
Dr. Seaborn Beck Weathers, an amateur mountain climber from Dallas, Texas, wanted to climb Mt. Everest so much he was willing to pay for the privilege. In 1996, he signed up with a commercial expedition, led by New Zealander, Rob Hall. That's how Beck Weathers happened to be among the adventurers descending Mt. Everest in a freak storm, on May 10, 1996. Within 24 hours, nine climbers had died. It was the worst single-day loss of life ever on the mountain. (The story of the 1996 tragedies on Everest was written about in Jon Karakauer's book, Into Thin Air.)
Weathers lay unconscious and half-buried in snow for 14 hours. In the aftermath of the storm, Canadian climber Stuart Hutchison discovered what looked like Weathers' lifeless body. Hutchinson assumed Weathers had perished along with teammate Yasuko Namba, whose body lay nearby, so he left him for dead. But somehow the 49 year old doctor had somehow survived the brutal night on Everest. Severely frostbitten, nearly blind and clinging to life, Weathers regained consciousness and driven by thoughts of his wife and children, he staggered back to Camp 4. Three days later, after rescuers brought Weathers down to Camp 2, he and Taiwanese climber Makalu Gao were evacuated from the mountain by helicopter.
Beck Weathers lost his nose to the frostbite he suffered on Everest, as well as his right hand and part of his left. But he still practices medicine in Dallas, using foot pedals and voice controls to partially compensate for his missing fingers. He has also become a much-sought-after public speaker sharing the story of his harrowing adventure and the second chance he got in life. After his ordeal, Beck had a new outlook on his life. His marriage survived and his priorities changed. He writes in his book, Left for Dead,
"For the first time in my life, I'm comfortable in my own skin. I searched all over the world for that which would fulfill me, and all along it was in my own backyard."
Dr. Seaborn Beck Weathers, an amateur mountain climber from Dallas, Texas, wanted to climb Mt. Everest so much he was willing to pay for the privilege. In 1996, he signed up with a commercial expedition, led by New Zealander, Rob Hall. That's how Beck Weathers happened to be among the adventurers descending Mt. Everest in a freak storm, on May 10, 1996. Within 24 hours, nine climbers had died. It was the worst single-day loss of life ever on the mountain. (The story of the 1996 tragedies on Everest was written about in Jon Karakauer's book, Into Thin Air.)
Weathers lay unconscious and half-buried in snow for 14 hours. In the aftermath of the storm, Canadian climber Stuart Hutchison discovered what looked like Weathers' lifeless body. Hutchinson assumed Weathers had perished along with teammate Yasuko Namba, whose body lay nearby, so he left him for dead. But somehow the 49 year old doctor had somehow survived the brutal night on Everest. Severely frostbitten, nearly blind and clinging to life, Weathers regained consciousness and driven by thoughts of his wife and children, he staggered back to Camp 4. Three days later, after rescuers brought Weathers down to Camp 2, he and Taiwanese climber Makalu Gao were evacuated from the mountain by helicopter.
Beck Weathers lost his nose to the frostbite he suffered on Everest, as well as his right hand and part of his left. But he still practices medicine in Dallas, using foot pedals and voice controls to partially compensate for his missing fingers. He has also become a much-sought-after public speaker sharing the story of his harrowing adventure and the second chance he got in life. After his ordeal, Beck had a new outlook on his life. His marriage survived and his priorities changed. He writes in his book, Left for Dead,
"For the first time in my life, I'm comfortable in my own skin. I searched all over the world for that which would fulfill me, and all along it was in my own backyard."