KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian climber who narrowly survived the "death zone" on Mount Everest thanked the Nepali Sherpa guides who saved him.
In an Instagram post, T. Ravichandran, 58, or better known as Ravi Everest expressed his gratitude to the Sherpa guides from The 14th Peaks Expedition and Global Rescue for saving his life.
"How important is rescue team and heli rescue on Everest expedition? Believe me, it's very important. I am alive today, because I had the best and dedicated partners - The 14th Peaks Expedition led by Tashi Sherpa (and his Sherpas - Mingman Tendi, Genge Sherpa, Nima Dorjee, Dawa, Nima Tashi, Dipen Bhote and Global Rescue.
"Everest in previous year especially 2022 was good but in 2023, it is tough and has taken many lives," said the climber who has reached the highest summit in the world three times.
Previously, debates sparked on social media as some netizens believed that Ravichandran had blocked his saviour - Gelje Sherpa.
There were also comments allegedly saying that Ravichandran did not express his gratitude towards the Sherpa.
Gelje Sherpa, 30, was guiding a Chinese client to the 8,849 metre (29,032 feet) Everest summit on May 18 when he saw Ravichandran clinging to a rope and shivering from extreme cold in the area called the "death zone", where temperatures can dip to minus 30 degrees Celsius or lower.
Gelje hauled him 600 metres down from the Balcony area to the South Col, over a period of about six hours, where Nima Tahi Sherpa, another guide, joined the rescue.