Olympia guide helped save life of Everest climber left for dead

An Olympia climbing guide has gone from the top of the world — or close to it — to the center of an incident that has focused international attention on the ethics of climbing the world's deadliest mountains.

Dan Mazur, 45, a veteran guide who has reached the summit of Everest and many other major peaks, led a team that is credited with saving the life of one of Australia's best-known climbers, Lincoln Hall, on Friday.

Hall, 50, had collapsed Thursday on his descent from the summit, lost consciousness and was assumed to be dead from swelling of the brain. His Sherpa guides abandoned him, reportedly on the instructions of Russian guides supervising his climb.

The incident at the 28,500-foot level of the world's highest peak has renewed debate over what some feel is an unfortunate trend where some climbers have hesitated to rescue others in dangerous, high-altitude conditions.

British climber David Sharp was left to die two weeks ago while about 40 climbers passed him on their way to the summit. That incident drew criticism from many veteran climbers, including Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man known to climb the 29,035-foot Everest.

Fifteen climbers have died on Everest this season, according to The New York Times.

Mazur, in a satellite telephone interview Sunday with an Australian newspaper, said his climbing group was ascending the mountain when it rounded a bend about 7:30 a.m. and discovered the stricken Hall near a landmark called Mushroom Rock.

He was sitting on an extremely dangerous ledge with a rock wall on one side and a sheer drop on the other.

"He had his top off and his gloves off and his hat off and he was sort of jerking around and his eyes were glazed," Mazur told the Sydney Morning Herald. "The first thing he said was, 'I imagine you are very surprised to see me here.' "

Mazur and a rescue party were able to revive Hall and help him down to a lower camp; Hall had suffered severe frostbite in his fingers but was conscious and able to talk to his wife on a satellite phone.

The rescue forced Mazur's climbing party to forgo its summit attempt.

"We just all felt like we knew that's what we had to do. Here was this person sitting there, he's half-clothed, he's sort of talking, we're giving him our oxygen and food and water and he's started to come good. How could we leave a person like that?" Mazur told the Sydney newspaper.

"The summit is still there and we can go back. Lincoln only has one life."

Mazur's mother, Mary Mazur, of Longbranch, Pierce County, said, "I would be astonished if he didn't stop and help, because he feels that's part of climbing. You help other people who are doing what you're doing."

Mazur began climbing in the Cascade Mountains while he was attending the University of Montana. His sense of social responsibility and respect for Nepal had prompted him to help raise money for a clinic and school there, his mother said.

Jack Broom: 206-464-2222 or jbroom@seattletimes.com.