Page 28 - Death Zone News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Malaysian climber Ravichandran Tharumalingam was near death above 26,000 feet when a heroic Sherpa stepped in to save him.

Gelje Sherpa, an Everest guide, was climbing the world's most famous mountain with a Chinese client. On the way up, he found a climber who was in real trouble.

2,000 feet of steep and treacherous terrain requires confidence, sure footing and skill. >> reporter: the particular area gelje sherpa traversed is known as the death zone because temperatures dip to minus 86 degrees fahrenheit. one official said it's almost impossible. even the experienced sherpa was at serious risk. >> he could have died on that rescue. it's steep enough, if you were to fall, you wouldn't be able -- >> reporter: the injured climber has not been identified but cnn is told he is home in malaysia. the climbing season on mount everest is short. extending only from march to may. ...

Climber strapped to the back of this sherpa and what it took to get this person back down the mountain or to a camp where the person could be flown away, what goes through your mind? >> well, good morning, victor and rahel. thank you very much for having me on your show. i think there are a number of reasons why gelje sherpa's rescue should be recognized. he risked his own life to save a fellow climber and not everybody would do that. what makes his rescue so remarkable is where it actually occurred. so at 8,000 meters in the death zone, the human body can no longer climatize. the body uses up...

Things and the body is starved of oxygen. altitude sickness or pulmonary edema becomes extremely high. at that elevation it's a race against the clock. and of the 310 climbers that lost their lives on the mountain, the majority of them have actually died in or around the death zone. >> well -- >> and having spent time at that altitude, it takes all of your emergency and resources to simply put one foot in front of the other. >> that was my question. yeah. you know, i think we wonder, since you have done it yourself, i mean, what was it like when you were in that region because when you hear th...