An American climber was rescued after she and another alpinist from Britain were stranded for two days at more than 6,000 meters in the Himalayan mountains.
Michelle Dvorak, 31, and Fay Manners, 37, went missing on Thursday after their equipment and food fell into a ravine while they were climbing India’s Chaukhamba Mountain, CBS News partner BBC reported.
The pair sent a distress message, but search and rescue teams were unable to find them.
INDIAN AIR FORCE/Handout via REUTERS
Manners told the BBC they were “terrified” as they attempted to complete part of the descent through the treacherous mountains without supplies.
“I saw the bag fall from the mountain and immediately knew what the consequences would be,” she said. ‘We ran out of safety equipment. No tent. No stove to melt snow for water. No warm clothes for the evening.’
The terrifying ordeal intensified when it started to snow. They took cover on a ledge while waiting for rescuers.
“I felt hypothermic, was shaking constantly and the lack of food left my body without energy to stay warm,” Manners said.
The rescue was made difficult by the conditions, including bad weather, fog and high altitude.
“The helicopter flew past again and couldn’t see us. We were destroyed,” Manners told the BBC.
INDIAN AIR FORCE/Handout via REUTERS
On the second day, the couple carefully began rappelling down the mountain. They saw a team of French climbers coming towards them. Manners said they shared equipment and food and contacted the helicopter company with an exact location.
“I cried with relief because I knew we might survive,” she said.
The Indian Air Force said in a post on social media platform
Chaukhamba is a mountain massif in the Garhwal Himalayas in northern India.
