British climber rescued by Indian Air Force after being stranded in the Himalayas for three days
7 October 2024, 13:31 | Updated: 7 October 2024, 13:34
A British climber has been rescued after vanishing for three days in the Himalayas.
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Brit Fay Manners, 37 and her American climbing partner Michelle Dvorak, 31, vanished on Thursday while attempting to overcome India’s Chaukhamba mountain.
The pair were left stranded at more than 6,000m (19,000ft) for three days, Indian news agency IANS reports.
Thankfully, the climbers were airlifted down the mountain after an 80-hour search conducted by the Indian Air Force.
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Taking to Instagram after the rescue, Ms Manners said: “We’re back down and safe.”
Speaking to the media after arriving back, Ms Manners revealed they had lost their equipment when it was crushed by a rockfall.
“We were pulling up my bag and she had her bag on her,” she told the Telegraph.
“And the rockfall came, cut the rope with the other bag, and it just went down the entire mountain.”
She added: “We sent a message to our friends and they knew. I live in France and that team is also coming from France… and so they had told [the rescuers], ‘Oh they are stuck on the mountain, they have no equipment.’
“So then this other team [of mountaineers] came to help us.”
Speaking to the BBC, she added: "I watched the bag tumble down the mountain and I immediately knew the consequence of what was to come.
"We had none of our safety equipment left. No tent. No stove to melt snow for water. No warm clothes for the evening. Our ice axes and crampons for retreat back to basecamp.
"No head torch for moving at night."
In a statement on X, the Indian Air Force said: “The rescue of two foreign (US & UK) mountaineers from Chaukhamba III trek in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli is a testament to the resilience and skill of the Indian Air Force, along with the collaborative efforts of SDRF, NIM, and French mountaineers.
“After battling two days of bad weather, the IAF’s Cheetah helicopter airlifted the climbers from 17,400 feet, showcasing remarkable coordination in extreme conditions.”
Ms Manners is a professional climber, sponsored by brands including Petzl and The North Face.
