Former Soldier Abandons Everest Climb 500m From Finish to Save Fellow Climber Life

A former soldier who was only 500m away from finishing his ascent abandoned his Everest climb to save a fellow climber.

Leslie Binns, 42, from Rotherham, was only 12 hours away from making his final ascent when he spotted a woman sliding down the mountain towards him.

After seeing 32-year-old Sunita Hazra in distress, Leslie told his Sherpa to abandon their climb and help her back to camp.

He gave her his oxygen bottle and escorted her all the way back to his camp where Sunita was then taken to hospital on May 21.

He told the BBC: ‘All we could her 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.’

The 42-year-old helped Sunita recover and she attempted to continue her descent by herself, but then collapsed after about 20 metres.

He added: ‘It was at this point I decided to cancel my summit bid to help Sunita.’

Sunita’s brother, Kingshuk Chatterjee, told the BBC that Leslie was ‘the reason she was still alive now’.

Leslie served in the Army for 13 years, before being blinded in his left eye after an explosion in Afghanistan.

He has been awarded two medals, including the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery for finding improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan in 2009.

Source: Metro.co.uk

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