Istanbul: An Israeli who rescued a distressed climber on Mount Everest instead of pushing onward to the summit said that the man he helped, an American of Turkish origin, is like a brother to him.
Nadav Ben-Yehuda, who was climbing with a Sherpa guide, came across Aydin Irmak near the summit last weekend. In that chaotic period, four climbers died on their way down from the summit amid a traffic jam of more than 200 people who were rushing to reach the world's highest peak as the weather deteriorated.
In a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Ben-Yehuda, appeared proud that Irmak, had made it to the summit, noting that he is one of a small number of "Turkish" climbers to reach the top.
Irmak left Turkey for New York more than two decades ago, but remains proud of his Turkish heritage. The friendship stands in contrast to the political tension between Turkey and Israel, which were once firm allies.
"Aydin, wake up! Wake up!" Ben-Yehuda recalled saying when he found his friend in the darkness. The American, he said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press, had been returning from the summit but collapsed in the extreme conditions, without an oxygen supply, a flashlight and a
rucksack.
Ben-Yehuda, who developed a friendship with Irmak before the climb, had delayed his own ascent by a day in hopes of avoiding the bottleneck of climbers heading for the top.
There have been periodic tales of people bypassing stricken climbers as they seek to fulfill a lifelong dream and reach the summit of Everest, but Ben-Yehuda said his decision to abandon his goal of reaching the top and help Irmak was "automatic," even though it took him several minutes to
recognize his pale, gaunt friend.
"I just told myself, 'This is crazy.' It just blew my mind," Ben-Yehuda said. "I didn't realise he was up there the whole time. Everybody thought he had already descended." The Israeli carried Irmak for hours to a camp at lower elevation. Both suffered frostbite and some of their fingers were at risk of amputation. Ben-Yehuda lost 20 kilograms (44 pounds) in his time on the mountain, and Irmak lost 12 kilograms (26 pounds), said Hanan Goder, Israel's ambassador in Nepal.
Nadav Ben-Yehuda, who was climbing with a Sherpa guide, came across Aydin Irmak near the summit last weekend. In that chaotic period, four climbers died on their way down from the summit amid a traffic jam of more than 200 people who were rushing to reach the world's highest peak as the weather deteriorated.
In a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Ben-Yehuda, appeared proud that Irmak, had made it to the summit, noting that he is one of a small number of "Turkish" climbers to reach the top.
"Aydin, wake up! Wake up!" Ben-Yehuda recalled saying when he found his friend in the darkness. The American, he said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press, had been returning from the summit but collapsed in the extreme conditions, without an oxygen supply, a flashlight and a
rucksack.
Advertisement
There have been periodic tales of people bypassing stricken climbers as they seek to fulfill a lifelong dream and reach the summit of Everest, but Ben-Yehuda said his decision to abandon his goal of reaching the top and help Irmak was "automatic," even though it took him several minutes to
recognize his pale, gaunt friend.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Parents Gave Names Of Interns, Doctors To CBI In Kolkata Horror: Sources Who Is Jasveen Sangha, "Ketamine Queen" Charged With Matthew Perry's Death How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan Blinken Heading To Israel To Press Gaza Truce 'INDIA' Is with You Against "Injustice": Rahul Gandhi To Arvind Kejriwal "Strong Indications" Bangladesh Security Forces Used "Unnecessary" Force: UN Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.