Briton abandons Everest summit bid to save fellow climber

'No summit is worth a life,' says climber Leslie Binns

Yellow and orange tents at Everest Base Camp, pitched on the edges of the Khumbu icefall (AP)

A British ex-serviceman abandoned his attempt to reach the peak of Mount Everest to save a fellow climber who had run out of oxygen.

Leslie Binns from Rotherham,South Yorkshire was 500m from the summit when he came across Indian climber Sunita Hazra, who was sliding down the mountain.

Mr Binns served in the military for 13 years including tours in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. He lost his left eye after an explosion in Afghanistan.

The 42-year-old, who now works as a private security guard at oil fields in Iraq, said he was "immensely proud to save a life but wished he had been able to save another climber who died during their descent.

He first noticed something was wrong on the approach to the "the balcony" area of the ascent where people tend to leave spare oxygen bottles.

Mr Binns told the BBC:"I noticed someone sliding down the fixed climbing lines towards me.

"All I could hear were the screams of terror as the person gained momentum. I braced myself to try and stop whoever it was, and managed to do so.

"At this time I didn't know that this was Sunita Hazra. I helped her upright and looked at her oxygen regulator. It was registering empty."

After helping Ms Hazra to recover, she continued her descent but collapsed after 20 metres.

Although he was 500m from reaching the peak, he decided to end his bid and with his sherpa help Ms Hazra get down safely.

Mr Binns said: "I climbed down to her and called my Sherpa. I told him we are not going up and we would give Sunita my spare oxygen bottle and take her down."

During their descent, the three came across another climber who was also struggling. After helping this second struggling climber, Mr Binns fell into waist-deep crevasses "no less than five times".

Unable to help this second struggling climber any further, the three finally reached their camp.

He said: "I gave Sunita my sleeping bag in my tent. We then tried our best to get her warm by patting and rubbing her. She was suffering from hypothermia and her right hand was badly frost-bitten.

"I then remembered we had a flask of ginger tea. I used this to try and re-warm Sunita's hand.

"I dried it off and told her to keep it in her fleece pocket which would keep it warm."

Mr Binns said he could hear the other climber in the distance but was too exhausted to go back out, adding: "I truly regret not being able to do anything more for him.

"But I had nothing left in me that night and I tried my level best to rescue him, but he could not be moved. No summit is worth a life.

"I am immensely proud that I helped Sunita. I just wish I could have done more."

When he carried on his descent the next day, he came across the climber's body which he belives sherpas have since taken down.

Ms Hazra was treated in hopsital and was discharged on Wednesday.

Her brother Kingshuk Chatterjee said Mr Binns is "the reason why she is still alive now, he is a very brave man."