MISSING Malaysia Everest 2023 (ME2023) climber Muhammad Hawari Hashim, 33, may have gone back towards the summit of Mount Everest after he descended to Camp 4, says mission head Azim Afif Ishak.
“The search and rescue (SAR) mission to locate Muhammad Hawari is now focused on the upper side of the mountain, known as the ‘death zone’.
“He is a very kind person and he might have gone back up to check on his hiker friend Kedah Malaysian Civil Defence Force director Lt Col Awang Askandar Ampuan Yaacub, who had fallen ill at that time.”
Lt Col Awang Askandar, 56, passed away at about 10.30am (Nepal time) on May 19; just about 20 minutes away from reaching the summit.
Recalling the incident, Azim said he last met Muhammad Hawari before the ‘summit push’ on May 17.
“Muhammad Hawari, Lt Col Awang Askandar and I arrived at Camp 4 on May 17.
“Muhammad Hawari arrived first, about 4pm (Nepal time), while Lt Col Awang Askandar and I reached about 5pm (Nepal time) or so.
“We prepared for the ‘summit push’ at about 9pm (Nepal time) on May 17.
“We communicated with each other through the radio, and at about 11am (Nepal time) on May 18, Muhammad Hawari arrived at the South Summit, which is about three hours from the Mount Everest summit,” Azim told Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow via Google Meet from Everest Base Camp (EBC) at about 3.50pm (Nepal time) on Tuesday (May 23).
With Azim, 35, were national mountaineer Tiong Ling Yang, 30, and ME2023 team manager, Ayu Wanirah Naharuddin, 30.
Azim said he got another news from Muhammad Hawari at 3.30pm (Nepal time) on May 18, that he has made it to the summit.
“The weather on May 18 was great and was among the best we had throughout this season. The sky blue with almost no wind.
“According to his sherpa (mountain guide), Muhammad Hawari spent about 25mins at the summit, flying 65 banners.
“Then he started descending. He arrived at Camp 4 at around 1.30am on May 19.
“Meanwhile, my sherpa and I went back down to Camp 3 and 2 to prepare for Muhammad Hawari and his sherpa’s return,” he said.
Azim said the weather at Camp 4 at that time (1.30am on May 19) was bad.
“It was about -30 degrees Celsius and dark. Muhammad Hawari and his sherpa stopped at Camp 4.
“Muhammad Hawari then told his sherpa to check on Lt Col Awang Askandar (who was ill at that time).
“He (Muhammad Hawari) told his sherpa that he is okay. The sherpa then left Muhammad Hawari an oxygen tank which can last up to 12 hours, before ascending to check on Lt Col Awang Askandar.
However, Lt Col Awang Askandar passed away at about 10.30am (Nepal time) on May 19,” Azim said in tears.
Azim added that the sherpa returned to Camp 4 to check on Muhammad Hawari but he was no where to be found.
“We activated the SAR mission at 11am on May 19 (Day-1) with eight sherpas – two searching from EBC to Camp 3, and six from above to Camp 3.
“We also deployed a SAR helicopter, which I was in, and we looked out for traces of human remains at about 8,300m. There were none.
“Muhammad Hawari wore yellow suit and yellow boots so it is easy to spot him. The Day-1 SAR mission went on until 11pm and we failed to locate him,” he said.
Azim said they engaged a team of experienced sherpas to check out the crevasses on Day-2 of the SAR mission.
“We know there are three crevasse areas where most hikers at Camp 4 usually fell into. Hence, we engaged experienced sherpas to check out the crevasses and look for Muhammad Hawari.
“There was no sign of him.
“From Day-3 of the SAR, we focused on the upper section of Everest as we believe he might have gone back up to check on Lt Col Awang Askandar. We believe that Muhammad Hawari might want help his friend, and so, he went back to the summit from Camp 4,” he said.
Azim said the experienced sherpas, who were engaged, were now searching for Muhammad Hawari above Camp 4.
“Some 20 volunteers were also looking for him from EBC to Camp 4.
“But only experienced sherpas are looking for him above Camp 4 (death zone). This is because the area is extremely dangerous,” he said.
“We received updates from the sherpas from time to time. They found 18 human remains so far, and were identifying them one by one.
“Muhammad Hawari is still missing,” Azim said. He also explained the risk of hikers experiencing high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) – a severe form of acute mountain sickness which may cause confusion and hallucination.
Azim said the SAR efforts also involved tracing Muhammad Hawari mobile phone (with the help of Nepal police), and his Suunto watch (with the help of the Finnish authority), but they did not bear fruit.
“We have also informed the Tibet authority two days ago. We alerted the Everest hikers (on Tibet’s side) to help look out for Muhammad Hawari in case he is found there,” he said.
Azim believed that Muhammad Hawari was still alive.
“I believe that Muhammad Hawari has sufficient food to survive and is equipped with a full suit which can withstand the weather of almost -60 degrees Celsius.
“He may have found a place to seek shelter.
“We will continue to look for him with high hope,” he said.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi and courtesy of Tiong Ling Yang