Would u scrifice your dream or goal to save a dying stranger?

[VINMAN]

My question here is, if you where in the middle of doing something that say, you have been waiting your whole life to do, and you found a dying person, that you had a chance to possibly save, would you stop to help this person or would you selfishly continue on?

The whole point of this is, recently on Mount Everest, a climber, David Sharpe. lay dying, for 2 days while probably 30 or more people passed right by him without rendering assistance. Which basically would be to get him to a lower altitude, to Advanced Base Camp for medical treatment. Included in this group where many very experienced mountain guides. Most of the peoples arguments where, that he would probably die anyway so why bother. The guides said that they had a responsibility to their "high priced clients" to get them to the top of the mountain.
Granted that there was a very good chance that in his condition, death was immanent. Also to get him down would be a very tough task.But no attempt at all was made to help this poor guy at all. I know deep in my heart that I could never leave another human to die, just to go on and get something Ive always wanted.

I have been climbing for about 23 yrs, while I have never done anything near the scope of Mount Everest, I know what is involved in a climb of that magnitude. Climbing has always been a thrill to me basically for the challenge and the fact that very very few other people do this. Another factor was the solitude, away from crowds and life in general. Of course Mount Everest was always a dream but was financially and logistically an unobtainable goal for me. Problem is, now climbing Everest has become almost a "yuppie sport" that anyone with some money to toss away can try. The mountain has become so crowded any dirty that all appeal to any "true climber" has all but vanished.
But back to my original question, what would you do? I know Ive seen a few other climbers on the board and would like to especially hear their response.

[Tervuren]

Hrm, what abut the first two groups to try for the Antarctic? Second one to reach it left their leader in the cold.

Me, I can't see how gettign to the top of Mt Everest - something many people have already done, is going to be as important...

[Icemaster]

You could always take another shot at Everest. Only one chance to save someone who's dying.

Seems like an easy choice to me. I'd call it selfish to walk past and ignore, but I wasnt there.

[charleskieffner]

i have dabbled in climbing when younger, always aspired to go further with it but have too many interests to pursue. saw the news clips on this. guy actually survived thru the night! the climbers who passed him by are now toasted in the climbing community forever.

if i saw an injured diver or one in distress i would abort my dive and render aid. its your mission to render aid. thats what your trained for. what those jerks did on everest is = to the USCG passing a sinking boater by and not rendering aid.

hell if i see a 911 on the side of the road i'll stop. now if i see a broken down pinto or yugo or anything british i will have to think about it...............REAL HARD! LOL! KARMA

[David]

I sacrificed my dream to raise a wonderful little boy. Yeh, I get bummed about it sometimes, but I'm still glad I did.

As far as your original question, without hesitation. This really says something about climbers I guess.

As a racer, could you imagine driving past a burning racecar knowing you're in a flame resistant suit and you're already there and the corner workers are not. Of course not.

[cool_chick]

yes. in a heartbeat.

what a horrible story.

[Rot 911]

This shouldn't even be in question.

[masraum]

About 10% of all Everest climbers die. I checked once, I think 10000 people have climbed Everest and 1000 have died trying. My understanding is that at a certain point it's almost impossible to get someone down from the top who is incapacitated. Of course, climbing past someone who is dying is crazy.

The answer to the question is yes, of course, I'd stop anything if I could save a dying person.

[onewhippedpuppy]

The previous poser that mentioned karma was 1000% right. I remember seeing that story on TV, and thinking how sad our world has become. I feel guilty if I pass by someone having car trouble, despite our modern world of cell phones and roadsite robbery, I still feel like I should help. Like Kurt said, this shouldn't even be a question. Those that passed him by may have reached their goal, but they'll get theirs eventually.

[Mr_Wizard]

In a heart beat. Its the right thing to do. I personally could not live with myself. How would that story go to the grandkids. "Yea, I climbed Mt. Everest, I walked past a guy who was dying because I was to selfish to save his life." But hey that is on their concience. Karma is a *****!!!!! They will eventually get theirs.

[masraum]

Personally, I think climbing Everest is not a very intelligent thing to attempt. Like I said, 1 in 9 or 10 don't make it, so if you are in a party of 10 or more people chances are really good that one of you isn't going to come back down. Those are really, really bad odds in my book.

[cstreit]

30 of the most incredibly selfish people ever made! scumbags.

I can't believe anyone could pass by! How could you even enjoy your climb despite what you"paid" knowing that a guy was dying behind you. Frankly I'd get more satisfaction telling people about rescuing a guy on Everest than of reaching the top.

[VINMAN]

Originally posted by 125shifter

As far as your original question, without hesitation. This really says something about climbers I guess.

Thats the point, there is a whole new breed of "climbers". They are no longer the true outdoorsman adventurer who truely lived for what climbing is all about. Now it is a egoist,"hey I did it too" additude.
You have people out there that have absolutley no business at all being on a mountain, let alone being out of their Park ave luxury apartment. Climbing has become the "In thing". An Everest climb is big $$. You are looking at about $60,000 minimum and about 2 months off to take part in a climb. But you have guide services out there that only see $$ signs and dont give a crap about the clients climbing resume. Just look back to the 1996 tradgedy on Everest. Prime example.

[Moses]

Unbelieveable!

Hell, I'd cancel my climb to save a damn dog if it were suffering. I'm sure most of you would too. This is not simply selfish, it's inhuman.

If wish the authorities could force those 30 climbers to face the dead mans family and explain themselves.

[}{arlequin]

since the 90's now climbing has become very egotistical. it's not about the challenge since we can see that experienced veterans are "rented out" by rich amateurs more and more frequently. it's about having a window of opportunity and these people just go for it w/ no other aim.

it's also the primary reason why people die up there. the difference is, the experienced climber, who does this as a profession, should know that he may have another shot at it, and should not press on if conditions are not ideal. but they do, and that's when they get into trouble. ofter AFTER a successful summit, on the way down, things go wrong. they rush b/c of the weather, etc etc.

the yuppie 'visitors' probably want to cross this off their list and know they have no desire to come back, so they continue on no matter what. even if they pass by someone that needs help. pretty sad.

i know there is a code of leaving people if it endangers the rest of the team and if they are beyond helping, but this was not the case since he survived for a pretty long time.

[charleskieffner]

try that crap ONCE scuba diving and you will be TOAST around the world faster than you can spit! more than likely ban you from getting air, and who would want to dive with you let alone climb w/you??????

[artplumber]

Originally posted by Kurt V
This shouldn't even be in question.

+1

[Christien]

This isn't a hypothetical situation - someone DID give up their dream to save a stranded climber on Everest, a week after Sharpe died:

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/05/27/everest-rescue.html

200 metres from Everest summit, Canadian halts climb to rescue man

A Calgary woman says she's very proud of her husband for being part of a team that saved an Australian climber who was left for dead on Mount Everest.

"I know he feels he made the right decision," Jennifer Brash said of her husband Andrew. "He was very close to the summit, but more importantly, he did the right thing for this climber," she told CBC News on Saturday.

Lincoln Hall reached the summit on Thursday and was descending with his Russian-led expedition when he reportedly became delirious, a sign of fluid on the brain, and could not be moved. His wife and teenage sons had been told he had died.

Hall spent the night alone at an elevation of 8,700 metres, before other climbers including the Calgarian found him the next morning.

Brash's group gave Hall tea, oxygen and a radio for communication. Hall later received medical attention from Sherpas who moved him to a warm tent.

On Saturday, Hall was able to walk into the advanced base camp, 6,400 metres above sea level. He was being treated for frostbite and cerebral edema — swelling to the brain caused by altitude sickness.

Calgarian was close to summit

Brash was only 200 metres from the summit when he decided to abandon his climb and help the Australian, his wife said.

It was Brash's second attempt in the last two weeks to reach the top of the world's tallest mountain.

"I'm sure he has some mixed emotions, maybe not right now, but in the future he might, and it will probably haunt him for the rest of his life," she said.

"But I know that he'll be happy with his decision, and it's a greater achievement than actually reaching the summit, to be part of saving someone's life."

The rescue of the Australian mountaineer follows the well-publicized and controversial death of another Everest climber last week.

David Sharp of England died on the mountain of apparent oxygen deprivation, and reports have alleged that more than 40 fellow mountaineers opted not to assist him despite his situation.

[Tobra]

Originally posted by Icemaster
You could always take another shot at Everest. Only one chance to save someone who's dying.

Seems like an easy choice to me. I'd call it selfish to walk past and ignore, but I wasnt there.

Agree, though I would perhaps use a term stronger than "selfish"

[Rodeo]

What I don't understand is the number of people that passed him by ... if 2 or 3 or even 5 climbed right by him, I guess I would just conclude they were nasty, selfish, horrible human beings. But 30?? Thirty people walked past a dying man without doing anything?

Maybe I'm naive, but I can't imagine a sample of 30 people where every one of them is a scumbag. So the lawyer in me says there is more to this story than meets the eye.

Anyway, of course I'd interrupt whatever I was doing to save someone from death.

As an aside, if anyone wants to read a compelling mountaineering book, pick up "Touching the Void" by British climber Joe Simpson. An amazing true story.