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David SharpEnglish climber
Date of Birth: 15.02.1972
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of David Sharp
David Sharp was an English mountaineer who died during a solo ascent of Mount Everest. His name became widely known after the media began to cover the moral aspect of his death. It was revealed that more than 40 climbers from several groups saw him but chose not to help him.
Early Life and Career
David Sharp was born in 1972 in England. He worked as a mathematics teacher in the English town of Gainsborough and spent increasing amounts of time in the mountains, either climbing or preparing for expeditions. Sharp attempted to summit Everest twice in 2003 and 2004, but was unsuccessful. In 2006, he made his third attempt to conquer the mountain.
The Final Ascent
Sharp embarked on his final ascent of Everest alone and obtained permission to climb through Asian Trekking by paying $6200 for support from the base camp. However, he did not have any Nepalese guides or Sherpas, nor did he have a radio to communicate with Asian Trekking. Sharp carried only two oxygen cylinders instead of the usual five. It was later revealed that he was ill-equipped for the climb, with thin gloves and lacking essential gear that many climbers considered necessary for such a challenging mountain.
Despite the challenges, it is highly likely that Sharp reached the summit in the afternoon and began his descent closer to nightfall, during the coldest time of the year. His energy depleted, Sharp stopped at an altitude of 8.5 kilometers and could no longer continue. Freezing, he took shelter in a small cave where he was seen by over 40 people ascending and descending the mountain.
No Assistance
Among those who did not help Sharp was the renowned New Zealand mountaineer Mark Inglis, who was attempting to set a record by summiting Everest without both legs. Inglis and several other groups did not stop to assist Sharp, as they were focused on their own challenging climbs. The moral aspect of Sharp's death received significant media attention, with even the first person to summit Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary, expressing his dismay. Hillary stated that people had lost sight of human values and that the single-minded pursuit of reaching the summit had overshadowed compassion for others in need of assistance.
Interestingly, Linda Sharp, David's mother, agreed with those who believed that helping a climber in such a situation was not necessary at such high altitudes. She believed that it was crucial to prioritize one's own life. Nevertheless, the fact remains that David Sharp was left to die, sparking ongoing debates about morality in the mountains.
Tragic End
David Sharp passed away on May 15, 2006, at the age of 34, in the same cave where another mountaineer, Tsewang Paljor, known as Green Boots, had died in 1996. It is saddening to note that representatives from the Discovery Channel, accompanying Mark Inglis' group, attempted to interview Sharp while he was dying. All the climbers who left Sharp in the cave unanimously stated that saving him was simply not possible. Sadly, just 10 days later, Australian mountaineer Lincoln Hall was rescued at an altitude of 8700 meters.
David Sharp's body, like the bodies of over a hundred other climbers who lost their lives on treacherous and inaccessible parts of Everest, will likely remain on the mountain forever.
