Beck Weathers
Encyclopedia
Seaborn Beck Weathers is an American pathologist from Texas
. He is best known for his role in the 1996 Everest disaster
that has been the subject of many books and films, most notably Into Thin Air
and Everest
.
, where he suffered severe frostbite. He recovered enough to walk alone and unassisted to nearby Camp IV. If he had failed to find it he would have plummeted to his death. He was later helped to walk on frozen feet to a lower camp, where he was the subject of one of the highest altitude helicopter
rescues ever performed. Following his helicopter evacuation from the Western Cwm, he had his right arm amputated halfway between the elbow and wrist. All four fingers and the thumb on his left hand were removed. His nose was amputated and reconstructed with tissue from his ear and forehead and he lost parts of both feet to his injuries.
Weathers has said that his trouble on the mountain began when he was blinded by the effects of high altitude on his eyes that had been altered by radial keratotomy
surgery, the effects of altitude upon which were at the time unknown to science. After he admitted his disability to his paid guide, Rob Hall
, Weathers waited for Hall to guide him back down the mountain, instead of descending with other guides or clients. Hall was delayed with a client further up the mountain before he could return to Weathers' position. This delay caused Weathers to become stranded in a late afternoon blizzard, which ended in tragedy for some and hardship for the entire party. Hall, unable to descend from the higher elevations, was reported dead the following day.
Weathers spent the night in an open bivouac
in a blizzard with his face and hands exposed. His fellow climbers said that his frozen hand and nose looked and felt as if they were made of porcelain
, and they did not expect him to survive. With that assumption, they only tried to make him comfortable until he died, but he survived another freezing night alone in a tent unable to drink, eat, or keep himself covered with the sleeping bags he was provided with. His cries for help could not be heard above the blizzard, and his companions were surprised to find him alive and coherent the following day.
.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He is best known for his role in the 1996 Everest disaster
1996 Everest Disaster
The 1996 Mount Everest disaster refers to the events of 10-11 May 1996, when eight people died on Mount Everest during summit attempts. In the entire season, fifteen people died trying to reach the summit, making it the deadliest single year in Mount Everest's history...
that has been the subject of many books and films, most notably Into Thin Air
Into Thin Air
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster is a 1997 bestselling non-fiction book written by Jon Krakauer. It details the author's presence at Mount Everest during the 1996 Mount Everest disaster when eight climbers were killed and several others were stranded by a 'rogue storm'...
and Everest
Everest (film)
Everest is a 70mm American documentary film from MacGillivray Freeman Films about the struggles involved in climbing Mount Everest, the highest mountain peak on Earth located in Himalayan region of Nepal. It was released to IMAX theaters in 1998....
.
Everest
During the 1996 climb to the summit of Mt. Everest, Weathers was left for dead, exposed to the elements on the South ColSouth Col
The South Col usually refers to the southern col between Mount Everest and Lhotse, the first and fourth highest mountains in the world. When climbers attempt to climb Everest from the southeast ridge in Nepal, their final camp is situated on the South Col...
, where he suffered severe frostbite. He recovered enough to walk alone and unassisted to nearby Camp IV. If he had failed to find it he would have plummeted to his death. He was later helped to walk on frozen feet to a lower camp, where he was the subject of one of the highest altitude helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
rescues ever performed. Following his helicopter evacuation from the Western Cwm, he had his right arm amputated halfway between the elbow and wrist. All four fingers and the thumb on his left hand were removed. His nose was amputated and reconstructed with tissue from his ear and forehead and he lost parts of both feet to his injuries.
Weathers has said that his trouble on the mountain began when he was blinded by the effects of high altitude on his eyes that had been altered by radial keratotomy
Radial keratotomy
Radial keratotomy is a refractive surgical procedure to correct myopia.- Discovery :The procedure was discovered by Svyatoslav Fyodorov who removed glass from the eye of one of his patients who had been in an accident. A boy, who wore eyeglasses, fell off his bicycle and his glasses shattered on...
surgery, the effects of altitude upon which were at the time unknown to science. After he admitted his disability to his paid guide, Rob Hall
Rob Hall
Rob Hall , a native of New Zealand, was a mountaineer best known for being head guide of a 1996 Mount Everest expedition in which he, a fellow guide, and two clients perished. A best-selling account of the expedition was given in Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air...
, Weathers waited for Hall to guide him back down the mountain, instead of descending with other guides or clients. Hall was delayed with a client further up the mountain before he could return to Weathers' position. This delay caused Weathers to become stranded in a late afternoon blizzard, which ended in tragedy for some and hardship for the entire party. Hall, unable to descend from the higher elevations, was reported dead the following day.
Weathers spent the night in an open bivouac
Bivouac shelter
A bivouac traditionally refers to a military encampment made with tents or improvised shelters, usually without shelter or protection from enemy fire or such a site where a camp may be built. It is also commonly used to describe a variety of improvised camp sites such as those used in scouting and...
in a blizzard with his face and hands exposed. His fellow climbers said that his frozen hand and nose looked and felt as if they were made of porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
, and they did not expect him to survive. With that assumption, they only tried to make him comfortable until he died, but he survived another freezing night alone in a tent unable to drink, eat, or keep himself covered with the sleeping bags he was provided with. His cries for help could not be heard above the blizzard, and his companions were surprised to find him alive and coherent the following day.
Current life
Weathers authored a book about his experience, Left For Dead, which was first published in 2000. He continues to practice medicine and deliver motivational speeches. He lives in Dallas, TexasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
.
External links
- National Geographic - profile of Weathers and other survivors, with audio interviews
- TED - Medical Miracle on Everest - Ken Kamler - the only doctor on the mountain discusses how Weathers survived.
- Interview