Deaf BBC presenter is stranded in Mount Everest's 'death zone' after losing contact with his Sherpa

By SABRINA PENTY, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 10:21, 26 May 2026 | Updated: 10:23, 26 May 2026 A deaf BBC presenter was left stranded on Mount Everest's 'death zone' for several hours after he lost his local guide.  Michael Woods, a Sign Language presenter, summited the world's highest peak on Thursday but lost contact with his Sherpa during his descent near the Hillary Step, which sits at nearly 29,000ft above sea level. After safely returning from his expedition, Woods, 36, took to social media to talk about his ordeal, in which he described the exhaustion and isolation he felt while becoming stranded in the so-called 'death zone', where oxygen levels are critically low. 'I was up near the Hillary Step for around 2 to 3 hours, completely alone with nobody around me,' he wrote.  'In that moment, my kids came into my mind, and I fought my way back down to stay alive.' In a separate post, the Liverpool-based adventurer added: '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.' Initial reports suggested Woods had to be rescued at the summit. Still, he has insisted he survived the most dangerous phase of the descent before being reunited with his Sherpa guide halfway down the mountain.  Michael Woods, a deaf BBC presenter, says he was stranded for hours in an area of mount Everest known as the 'deaf zone' after becoming separated from his guide Initial reports suggested Woods had to be rescued at the summit, but he has insisted he survived the most dangerous phase of the descent before being reunited with his Sherpa guide '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,' he wrote.  Lakpa Sherpa, the managing director of 8K Expeditions, which organised the climb, confirmed that members of the expedition team helped Wood and another climber descend safely.  Woods' climb up the world's highest mountain, which he completed to raise money for the National Deaf Children's Society, has been widely documented online.  Just days before his final summit push, Woods posted from Camp Four saying he was about to complete the 'hardest part' of the climb.  'It's crazy to think after more than 10 years of dreaming, training and working towards this moment, I'm finally here, ready to face the hardest part of my life, the death zone,' he wrote. 'Whatever happens, I'm super proud of how far I've come.' Following his descent from Everest, Woods wrote: 'Standing on the summit of Mount Everest is something. I'll never ever forget… This is not just a summit for me,' he wrote. 'This is years of dreaming, sacrifice and proving to myself that anything is possible if you refuse to give up.' The Everest expedition forms part of Woods's goal to finish the 'seven summits' challenge by climbing the highest mountain on each continent. Woods' ascent comes amid the busiest period in Everest's period. He is pictured here during his climb His ascent also comes amid the busiest period in Everest's history.  Hundreds of climbers scaled Mount Everest in a single day, setting a new record with 274 successful ascents, officials said on Thursday. The climbers took advantage of the clear weather last Wednesday, said Rishi Ram Bhandari of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal.  It was the highest number of climbers to reach the summit on a single day from the popular route on the southern face of the peak, which is located in Nepal. The peak can be scaled from either the southern side in Nepal or northern face in China’s Tibet.  On May 22, 2019, Nepal’s side had 223, and the Chinese side had 113 climbers on the summit. Chinese authorities, however, have closed the route this year. This year’s Everest climbing season began late because of the risk from a huge serac hanging over the key route to the summit.  There are around 494 climbers and an equal number of their Sherpa guides who are expected to attempt to scale the 29,032ft peak by the end of this month, when the climbing season on the peak ends. Thousands of people have climbed the peak since it was first scaled on May 29, 1953, by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. 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