Mountaineer gives up dream of conquering Everest to save people

Just 400 meters from the top of Everest, a Chinese climber decided to give up his dream to help a person in distress down the mountain.

The Hunan Provincial Sports Association, China, recently decided to praise the life-saving actions of two climbers Fan Jiangtao and Xie Ruxiang when they were climbing Mount Everest in Nepal, even though they were very close to conquering the world's highest peak.

The incident happened on the evening of May 18, when Fan Jiangtao, a climber from Hunan province, and his Nepalese guide discovered a woman lying unconscious at an altitude of about 8,500 meters, with weak vital signs.

The victim's oxygen tank was empty, she was shaking uncontrollably, her right hand had lost its glove and had turned black from frostbite. Fans immediately tried to find a way to help the climber stay alive until help arrived.

"I no longer had any thoughts about climbing to the top. The guide kept asking me if I really wanted to give up my dream of conquering the mountain. I replied that my goal was to save a life," Fan said.

He quickly transferred oxygen to the victim's tank and performed CPR. Fan then helped her drink hot water, sugar and chocolate. When the woman regained consciousness, Fan and the guide helped her down the mountain.

But because the area was so steep, it took them two hours to descend the 200 meters and the victim continued to lose consciousness. Fan and the guide were forced to leave her there while they sought help.

"We were at our physical limit. At this altitude, you would be exhausted even if you just held a bottle of water," Fan recalled.

A group of climbers walks at night on Everest. Photo: SCMP — A group of climbers walks at night on Everest. Photo: *SCMP*

Not long after, Fan found Xie Ruxiang, a Chinese climber who was also trying to climb Everest.

"When he saw me, Fan cried and said he wanted to save her but didn't have the strength. I felt his heart and decided to give up his plan to conquer the mountain and join in the rescue," Xie said. "Regardless of whether she lived or died, we had to do our best to bring her back to the camp."

Fan, Xie and two Nepalese guides successfully brought the victim to the base camp at 8,000 meters. She recovered after a few days.

"The hardest part was giving up a lifelong dream," Fan said. "Even though we didn't reach the top of Everest, saving a life was much more valuable."

"Conquering the roof of the world is our dream, but it cannot compare to saving people," Xie continued.

Climber Xie Ruxiang inside his tent on Everest. Photo: SCMP — Climber Xie Ruxiang inside his tent on Everest. Photo: *SCMP*

The story of the two climbers quickly went viral on Chinese social media, with many calling them “heroes” for giving up their dream when they were just 400 meters away.

"I heard it's almost impossible to save people on Mount Everest. You guys are really brave men," one social media user commented.

"They didn't reach the top of Everest, but they reached the peak of humanity," wrote another.

Duc Trung (According to SCMP )

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