Returned to life. The story of the unique rescue of climber Beck Weathers who climbed the mount Everest

You probably already know that Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. On the way to ascension, a lot can happen and it is full of difficulties and dangers. And this is what happened to one expedition in 1996. Their story has gone down in history forever. The members of the expedition got stuck in a snowstorm which took the lives of 200 people.

Beck Weathers was one of the climbers but he was able to survive after being practically blind, suffering from hypothermia and waking up from a 15-hour coma. While the blizzard was raging, Weathers was trying to get down the mountain with a group of climbers. He lost consciousness and fell into a coma when a gust of wind knocked him off his feet. His body temperature began to drop and his heartbeat slowed down. He lost consciousness and fell. Colleagues thought he was dead.

Miraculously, he woke up 15 hours after he passed out. And strangely enough, his brain was still thinking and he was able to understand what time of day it was. It was already getting dark and he had to get to a safe place. Gathering his will into a fist, he reached the camp. Everyone thought he was dead and no one was looking for him.

Shortly before his attempt to conquer Everest, he underwent an eye surgery. He remained partially blind after it. This blindness, along with the weather, were his main enemies. Weathers stopped climbing in the evening due to total loss of vision and decided to resume his journey at sunrise. He hoped the light would allow him to see. But Weathers damaged his cornea when he rubbed his eyes and accidentally scratched his right eye with an ice crystal.

Weathers waited for the leader of the expedition to come for him, but he died saving the life of another climber. Beck did not know this and continued to wait for the boss. Climber and writer Jon Krakauer, who was also with them on this expedition, offered to help Weathers down the mountain, but Weathers refused because Krakauer was not part of Weathers’ climbing team. Eventually, Mike Groom, another guide, was able to help Weathers down.

It was already late when they returned to the camp. Weathers had hypothermia, hypoxia and was delirious. He was blown away by the wind and everyone thought that he would not be able to go any further. The doctor said that he was close to death and should not be wasted time on him. The group left, telling the others that he had died.

One of the group members called Weathers’ wife and told her that her husband was dead. Luckily, Peach Weathers didn’t believe it and organized a helicopter rescue. She was able to attract several officials in search of her husband, and they were crowned with success. They managed to save Weathers.

Climbing consumed Beck Weathers’ life to the point where his wife was ready to leave him. After Weathers returned from Everest, his wife told him that she did plan to leave, but decided to stay another year to see if he could change. Fortunately, he did.

Although Weathers eventually recovered psychologically, his physical injuries were extensive. He lost his right arm below the elbow. His left arm was reconstructed and his nose required skin grafts from other parts of his body, including his forehead. Doctors had to grow the skin back before it was big enough to attach itself to his nose. When the wife touched his frostbitten limbs, it seemed to her that they were made of porcelain. That’s how hard they were. Weathers was able to return to work as a pathologist four months after his arm surgery.

The story of Beck Weathers was subsequently made into a film. Josh Brolin spent three hours talking to Weathers as he prepared to portray him in the film. He was overwhelmed by Beck’s will to live. He survived one of the 200 who were buried by snow captivity.