An American climber has been rescued after she and another British climber were stranded for two days at more than 20,000 feet in the Himalayan mountains.
Michelle Dvorak, 31, and Fay Manners, 37, went missing Thursday after their equipment and food fell into a ravine while they were climbing Chaukhamba Mountain in India, CBS News partner BBC reported.
The two men sent an emergency message, but search and rescue teams were unable to find them.
INDIAN AIR FORCE/handout via REUTERS
Manners told the BBC they were “terrified” as they attempted to take part in the descent of the dangerous mountains without supplies.
“I saw the bag rolling down the mountain and immediately understood the consequences of what was going to happen,” she said. “We had no safety equipment left. No tent. No stove to melt the snow and get water. No warm clothes for the evening.”
The terrifying ordeal intensified when it started to snow. They took shelter on a ledge while waiting for help.
“I felt hypothermic, I was shaking constantly and with the lack of food, my body lacked the energy to keep warm,” Manners said.
The rescue was made difficult due to conditions, including bad weather, fog and high altitude.
“The helicopter passed us again, without seeing us. We were destroyed,” Manners told the BBC.
INDIAN AIR FORCE/handout via REUTERS
On the second day, the two men began to carefully rappel down the mountain. They spot a team of French mountaineers heading towards them. Manners said they shared equipment and food and contacted the helicopter company with the exact location.
“I cried with relief knowing we could survive,” she said.
The Indian Air Force said in a post on social media platform
Chaukhamba is a mountain range in the Garhwal Himalayas in northern India.
