KOLKATA: Not all superheroes wear capes. Leslie John Binns, a British ex-serviceman abandoned his quest mere 450 metres away from the summit of the mighty Mount Everest, in a bid to save a fellow mountaineer.
Binns was almost close to the summit when he came across Indian climber Sunita Hazra, who was making her way down the mountain. He first noticed something was wrong on the approach to the "the balcony" area of the ascent where people tend to leave spare oxygen bottles. Talking to the media, he said, "I noticed someone sliding down the fixed climbing lines towards me. All I could hear were the screams of terror as the person gained momentum. I braced myself to try and stop whoever it was, and managed to do so. At this time I didn't know that this was Sunita Hazra. I helped her upright and looked at her oxygen regulator. It was registering empty."
He helped her recover, after which she continued her descent, but collapsed 20 metres down. Despite being close to his goal, Binns decided to call it quits and with the help of his sherpa, get Hazra down safely. The act has been widely appreciated on the internet. People have beein sending in congratulatory messages to him on Facebook from all across the world. The Britisher has served in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistant, also losing one eye in an IED explosion. Binns had set out from the UK on April 4 for his Mt Everest expedition and was set to reach the summit on May 22.
Admitting to have mixed feelings, he said, "Of course I felt sad because I could not climb the summit. But I am happy that I have saved a life. I have received messages from many people. It really feels good." A grateful Hazra said she was indebted to Binns. "I owe my life to him. I could return home to see my child. What else can I say?"
