A 49-year-old father who was declared dead by fellow climbers after being caught in the deadliest storm ever recorded on Mount Everest has told his remarkable story of survival. Beck Weathers, from Texas, was left for nearly ten hours on the mountain after a failed eye surgery left him nearly blind and unable to continue climbing.
In May 1996, Weathers joined an expedition led by Rob Hall, alongside Doug Hansen, Andy Harris, Mike Groom and journalist Jon Krakauer. After realising he was too weak to reach the summit, he waited for the group to return. However, he was left stranded for hours, suffering severe frostbite that would later cause parts of his body to fall off.
Weathers was found by Mike Groom and a separate group led by Scott Fischer. Russian climber Anatoli Boukreev later discovered him and declared him dead. The following day, Stuart Hutchison and three Sherpas confirmed this assessment. However, Weathers later regained consciousness and was found by Krakauer, who was astonished to see him alive.
Despite being critically injured, Weathers' wife Peaches worked with Hutchison, John Taske and three Sherpas to arrange a helicopter rescue at an unprecedented altitude. Weathers required emergency surgery on his hands, which had deteriorated to what he described as 'a set of dead puppets'. He also underwent reconstructive surgery on his nose, which was grown from skin on his forehead.
Eight climbers died during the May 1996 blizzard. Weathers, who now has a nose that grew out of his forehead, says the experience transformed his outlook on life. 'For the first time in my life I have peace,' he said. 'I no longer seek to define myself externally, through goals and achievements and material possessions.'
