‘It was a beautiful moment’: French climbers describe how they rescued a couple stranded 20,000ft in the Himalayas.

French climbers responsible for rescuing an American and British duo from the Chaukhamba 3 icy mountain have described how they discovered and rescued the women at an altitude of more than 20,000 feet (6,096 meters) in harsh conditions.

Earlier this month Michelle Dvorak and Fay Manners found themselves in a terrible situationstranded near the top of the towering mountain Chaukhamba 3 in the Indian Himalayas. The disaster happened on the way to the top, when the freak rockfall cut the rope holding Manners’ gear, and her food, gear, and shelter fell down the mountain. Unable to climb safely, the couple faced starvation and death. hypothermia at temperatures below -10°F / -23°C. Hiding under a ledge, they shared their only remaining sleeping bag and sent emergency SOS message to the Indian Mountaineering Foundation.

Despite an extensive three-day helicopter search, the Indian Air Force was unable to locate the couple due to deteriorating conditions. However, three French mountaineering experts also joined the search party. All members of the French Army’s elite mountaineering corps, Lieutenant Colonel Jacques-Olivier Chevalier and two other soldiers were attempting to climb the daunting Indian peak when they heard about the stranded climbers from mutual friends. Abandoning their original goal, the trio immediately began searching for the women, walking 4.2 miles from base camp to a second camp, near where the women had sent the SOS, looking for signs of life.

Chevalier told the Times: “We feared the worst and didn’t want to start a rescue operation until we found out exactly where they were.

“They indicated their altitude via SOS, so we knew the terrain, but it was important to pinpoint their position.”

Desperately searching for signs of life, another soldier noticed a light on the mountainside.

“It was a breakthrough,” Sargent told Vivian B., who cannot be identified under Army regulations, in the same interview. “We knew at least one of them was alive, so we decided to go and get them.”

Chaukhamba

Conditions at Chaukhamba became particularly difficult at night when temperatures plummeted. (Image credit: Getty Images)

The next morning at 7am, the trio braved dangerous rockfalls and rough terrain on their way to reach the women.

“We have been preparing for our expedition for three months,” added Clovis P., another soldier who cannot be fully identified. “Nobody knew Chaukhamba 3 better than us.”

Although they noticed the approaching French, Dvorak and Manners did not know whether they were there to rescue them or simply to climb to the top, so they decided to attempt part of the descent themselves. With little equipment and even less energy, they miraculously managed to abseil to 2,000 feet (610 m), where they were met by French climbers who assured them of their intentions.

“We’re here to save you,” Clovis can be heard saying in footage captured on his GoPro.

“You?” – Manners answered with relief and emotion.

“It was a beautiful moment,” Clovis continued. “I will always remember this. We were all frozen. We brought food for them, and the first thing I did was melt the snow so they could drink.”

After climbing safely together, the group was picked up by an Indian Air Force helicopter and flown to safety the next morning.

“We are incredibly happy to have brought them back alive and to be able to tell a story with a happy ending,” concluded Chevalier, who hopes to soon return to the mountain for a successful climb.