Seaborn Beck Weathers (born December 16, 1946) is an American pathologist from Texas. He survived the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, covered in Jon Krakauer's book Into Thin Air (1997), the adaptation of his film Into Thin Air: Death on Everest (1997), and movies Everest (2015). The Weathers autobiography book, titled Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest (2000) included his torture, but also described his life before and after, as he focused on saving his broken relationship.
Video Beck Weathers
Early life and private life
Weathers were born in military families. He attended Wichita Falls, Texas, married, and had two children. In 1986, he enrolled in a mountain climbing course and then decided to try to climb the Seven Peaks. He considers Richard Bass, the first person to climb the Seven Summits, an "inspiration" that makes Everest summest likely for "ordinary people". In 1993, Weathers made the ascent to Vinson Massif, where he met Sandy Pittman, whom he later met at Everest in 1996.
Maps Beck Weathers
Mount Everest
In May 1996, Weathers was one of eight clients hosted on Mount Everest by Rob Hall of Adventure Consultants. Weathers, who recently underwent radial keratotomy surgery, soon discovered that he was blinded by the effects of high altitude and excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation, high-altitude effects that had not been well documented at the time. On May 10, the day of the summit assault, Hall, after being told that Weathers could not see, wanted him to get down to Camp IV. He, however, believes his eyesight may increase as the sun rises, so Hall advises him to wait on the balcony (27,000 feet, at Everest 29,000 feet) until Hall comes back down to go down with him.
Hall, while helping other clients to reach the summit, did not return, and then died further up the mountain. Weathers finally begins to go down with Michael Groom's guide, who is short-spiked him. As the snowstorm hit, Weathers and 10 other climbers became confused in the storm, and could not find Camp IV. By the time there was a break in the storm a few hours later, Weathers was so weak that he and four other men and women were left there so the others could call for help. Anatoli Boukreev, guide on another expedition led by Scott Fischer, came and rescued several climbers, but during that time, Weathers had stood up and disappeared at night. The next day, another client on the Hall team, Stuart Hutchison, and two Sherpas arrived to check on the status of Weathers and fellow clients Yasuko Namba. Believe Weathers and Namba are both close to death and will not make it out of the living mountain, Hutchison and the others leave them and return to Camp IV.
Weathers spent the night in an open bivouac, in a blizzard, with his face and hands open. When he woke up, he managed to walk to Camp IV with his own strength. Climbers said that his frozen hands and nose looked and felt as if they were made of porcelain, and they did not expect him to survive. Assuming that, they were just trying to keep him comfortable until he died, but he survived a freezing night alone in a tent, unable to eat, drink, or keep himself covered with the sleeping bags provided. His screams for help could not be heard over the blizzard, and his comrades were surprised to find him alive and coherent the next day.
Weathers was then assisted walking, with his feet frozen, to a lesser camp, where he was the subject of one of the highest-altitude medical evacuations ever conducted by a helicopter. After the evacuation of his helicopter from the Western CWM, his right arm was amputated between the elbow and wrist. The five fingers in her left hand were amputated, as well as parts of her legs. His nose was amputated and reconstructed with tissue from his ears and forehead.
After Everest
Weathers published his book about the Everest experience and his life, Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest (2000), and continues to practice medicine and deliver motivational speeches. He lives in Dallas, Texas.
In media
Richard Jenkins portrays Weathers in the 1997 television film Into Thin Air: Death on Everest. Josh Brolin then did it in the 2015 movie Everest . Weathers is a character in the opera Everest by Joby Talbot; in the world premiere, this role is made by bass Kevin Burdette.
References
External links
- National Geographic - Weathers profile and other victims, with audio interview
- TED - Medical Miracle on Everest - Ken Kamler - the only doctor on the mountain to discuss how Weathers survived.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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