A BBC presenter was left caught in Mount Everest’s ‘death zone’ after becoming separated from his guide.
Michael Woods, 36, was at the summit of the mountain and on his way back down when he found himself caught in the infamous Hillary Step – a terrifying bottleneck. It was three agonising hours with no help and he feared for his life.
“I was up there near the Hillary Step for around two to three hours, completely alone with nobody around me,” he explained. “In that moment, my kids came to mind, and I fought my way back down to stay alive.
“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.
View 2 ImagesThe incident happened on the journey back down from the summit
“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.”
Michael – who is a British Sign Language TV presenter for the BBC – explained how the guide arrived back to save him and he was rescued. He had previously posted how amazing it had been to reach the summit and described it as something he’d want to achieve after “years of dreaming”.
“Standing on the summit of Mount Everest is something. I’ll never ever forget… This is not just a summit for me,” he said, “This is years of dreaming, sacrifice and proving to myself that anything is possible if you refuse to give up.”
8K Expeditions posted to social media on May 21st to congratulate Michael on his successful summit and prayed for a healthy descent.
“Huge congratulations to Mr. Michael Joseph Woods @michaelssummits Deaf mountaineer, BBC British Sign Language (BSL) TV presenter, and an inspiration to millions on successfully summiting Mt. Everest (8,848.86m) on 21 May 2026,” the message read.
“He reached the summit alongside our professional climbing guides. Michael’s incredible journey from climbing Lobuche Peak during acclimatization to standing on the summit of Everest is a powerful reminder that courage, determination and passion know no limits.
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“From the BBC studio to the roof of the world, his achievement inspires climbers and the global Deaf community everywhere. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the entire team and wish everyone a safe descent back to Base Camp.”
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