Deaf BBC presenter Michael Woods was left fighting for survival on Mount Everest's "death zone" after becoming separated from his guide at nearly 29,000 feet. Woods took on the challenge of climbing the 8,848-metre mountain to raise money for the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS).
The 36-year-old had just achieved his lifelong dream of reaching the summit of the world's highest peak when he became separated from his Sherpa near the Hillary Step during his descent. The area lies close to 29,000 feet above sea level, within the mountain's notorious "death zone", where oxygen levels are so low they are considered insufficient to sustain human life for long periods.
Woods, a British Sign Language TV presenter for the BBC, was left completely alone for three hours, with no sign of help.
"I was up near the Hillary Step for around 2 to 3 hours completely alone with nobody around me. In that moment my kids came into my mind and I fought my way back down to stay alive," he wrote in a post on Instagram.
"There were moments during this expedition where I genuinely didn’t know if I could make it. Especially after being sick and struggling with energy, but somehow I found a way to keep fighting all the way to the top of the world."
Woods continued: "A lot of the news got it wrong. I was not rescued. My guide Sherpa came back up to meet me around halfway, approximately 8400m, to support me on my descent back to Camp Four."
Woods said he plans to share "more details" about the ordeal soon, but revealed that his oxygen supply ran out during the descent from the summit.
"And that must be why I became so weak," he added. "Still crazy to think about it all."
"Honestly this moment means everything to me. So much pain, exhaustion, doubt, waiting, setbacks and one of the hardest battles mentally and physically I’ve ever faced in my life… but I kept going," he penned. "Standing on the summit of Mount Everest is something I’ll never ever forget."
Woods added: "This is not just a summit for me. This is years of dreaming, sacrifice and proving to myself that anything is possible if you refuse to give up."
