31/05/2026
CORRECTED STORY: Lithuanian Climber Saulius Damulevicius: What Really Happened on Everest, Spring 2026**
Saulius Damulevicius is one of only three climbers in the 2026 spring season, alongside Polish skier Bartek Ziemski and Ecuadorian Marcelo Segovia, who attempted Everest without supplemental oxygen and without personal Sherpa support. It is among the most demanding styles in high-altitude mountaineering.
Climbing without oxygen or Sherpa support, Damulevicius had battled a fierce gale at Camp 4 that made it hard enough to keep his tent standing through the night. After days of fighting wind and thin air at Camp 3, he had moved up to Camp 4 to rest before his summit push.
On May 27, he made his move, but the mountain had other plans. He tried to reach the summit but turned around at 8,400m and returned to Camp 4.
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**What Happened at Camp 4, Setting the Record Straight**
A social media post by SummitClimb expedition leader Dan Mazur that night alarmed the climbing community, suggesting a climber had been abandoned at the South Col. However, the reality was different. Damulevicius's tent had been damaged by wind, so he sheltered in a SummitClimb tent. He met a SummitClimb Sherpa at Camp 4 and spoke briefly, but did not receive oxygen, food, or water. He then left Camp 4 on his own.
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**Getting Sick on Descent — The Real Emergency**
Shortly after leaving Camp 4, on the way down to Camp 3, Damulevicius fell ill. He took medicine and sent an alert via his InReach satellite device.
His support network immediately activated. Fellow Lithuanian Tadas Jersovas, who was his main contact, received the InReach message and contacted Damulevicius's outfitter Satori Adventures, Global Rescue Insurance, and every team known to have members or Sherpas at Camp 4 or above including Seven Summit Treks, EliteExped, and SummitClimb.
Crucially: Damulevicius descended from Camp 4 to Camp 3 on his own.
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**The Rescue and Evacuation**
At Camp 3, he was met by two Sherpas from Himalayan Guides, sent up from Camp 2 by Satori Adventures. With their support, Damulevicius made it down to Camp 2, from which he was airlifted out.
He was flown to Kathmandu with suspected HAPE — High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, a dangerous build-up of fluid in the lungs — and discharged from hospital the following day.
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**Summary of Key Corrections**
| Initial Claim | Verified Fact |
| Discovered helpless at Camp 4 by SummitClimb | Used a SummitClimb tent due to wind damage; left Camp 4 independently |
| Rescued from Camp 4 | Descended Camp 4 → Camp 3 on his own |
| No oxygen, food, water given at Camp 4 | Confirmed — but he then self-descended |
| Evacuated from Camp 4 | Airlifted from Camp 2 after Sherpa assistance from Camp 3 |
| Condition unknown | Suspected HAPE; discharged from Kathmandu hospital the next day |
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Photo © Saulius Damulevicius Archives)
**Sources:** ExplorersWeb (May 27–30, 2026) • Tadas Jersovas (Lithuanian liaison, direct statement to ExplorersWeb) • Dan Mazur / SummitClimb Instagram • Satori Adventures
