16 Bhutanese help evacuate Singaporean trekker stricken with altitude sickness
Singaporean Sheryl Chen (left) with tour guide Ganesh Rai in Bhutan.
Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok, and join our Telegram channel for the latest updates.
- Ms Sheryl Chen, a Singaporean trekker, suffered altitude sickness at the Druk Path Trek in Bhutan
- Despite the slippery slopes and bad weather, 16 Bhutanese helped rescue her as she could not be evacuated by helicopter
- The rescue, which took six hours, had them carrying her from a camp 4.13km above sea level to a campsite about 2.4km above sea level
- The team of rescuers includes her tour guide and volunteers from Desuung, an initiative started by the King of Bhutan
- Ms Chen expressed her gratitude to her rescuers, saying she intends to be back to complete the trek
BY
LORAINE LEE
Published October 8, 2023Updated October 8, 2023
WhatsAppTelegramFacebookTwitterEmailLinkedIn
SINGAPORE — She goes on treks every two years, including to high-altitude peaks in Nepal and Pakistan, and usually does hiking on her yearly travels.
But during a trek in Bhutan earlier this week, Ms Sheryl Chen fell so ill with altitude sickness that the 63-year-old had to be carried down a mountain in a six-hour rescue operation involving 16 Bhutanese.
They include her tour guide, staff members of the camp she was at, police officers and national volunteers from the Desuung, an initiative started by the King of Bhutan which translates to “guardians of peace”.
Heavy rains had made it impossible for an evacuation via helicopter, which would have taken 10 to 15 minutes, so her rescuers had to take turns carrying her on their backs from a camp some 4km above sea level, in cold, muddy and slippery terrain.
Speaking to TODAY, Ms Chen said she is thankful for the kindness she has received.
“I am truly grateful. I could tell they were giving their all to help me in that terrain and with the wet weather,” said Ms Chen, who works as an admin operator in the social services sector.
BAD WEATHER, LACK OF OXYGEN
Ms Chen was one of 11 Singaporeans on a trip to Bhutan from Sept 28 to Oct 7.After three days of sightseeing, Ms Chen and three other Singaporeans separated from the rest of the tour group to conquer the Druk Path Trek.
The five-day trek is a popular walking route spanning 54km and peaks at around 4.7km above sea level.
Alongside them was a trekking guide, kitchen staff and Mr Ganesh Rai, a 40-year-old tour guide and founder of Bhutan Olive Tours and Treks.
The group started the climb on Oct 2 from a district called Motithang which is about 2.4km above sea level, and headed to their first camp in Labana, about 4.13km above sea level.
While the trek had started well, the weather took a turn for the worse and heavy rain pelted the group for two hours.
Drenched, cold and short of oxygen due to the high altitude, the typically five-hour walk took the group eight hours.
“Everyone was freezing cold and I was holding Sheryl’s hand so that she won’t slip due to the rain,” recalled Mr Rai.
“We were all exhausted so we went to rest early, and the kitchen staff made some ginger honey tea for us to warm up.”
As the group met for dinner, Ms Chen started showing signs of altitude sickness.
“Sheryl couldn’t even have a sip of soup and was vomiting,” Mr Rai said.
“The trek was quite tough, so we made more tea for her and asked her to rest for the night.”
But the next day, Ms Chen’s condition did not improve. She struggled to walk and could not stomach anything aside from a cup of ginger honey tea — which is a local remedy for altitude sickness.
Ms Chen said that this was the first time she had experienced altitude sickness this badly. The nature lover has been to higher peaks but only had signs of altitude sickness once in Ladakh, India, which she managed to sleep off.
However, she admitted that she was less prepared for this trek as compared to her other adventures — a fall three weeks before the trip meant that she could not train as rigorously as she normally would.
EVACUATION
Mr Rai called for a helicopter to evacuate Ms Chen back to the base camp to seek medical treatment. However, at 2pm, the helicopter team said that the clouds had made it impossible for them to take off or land.Mr Rai then called the Desuung for help and was informed that nine volunteers would meet them at Phajoding Monastery, which is about 3.87km above sea level.
The Desuung said police officers based near the monastery would climb up towards the group to assist them. As time was of the essence to help Ms Chen, Mr Rai was to trek down with her and meet them in the middle.
Mr Rai, the kitchen staff and trek guide quickly packed up their things and took turns carrying Ms Chen on their backs. At this point, Ms Chen could barely walk and Mr Rai recalled her lips were turning blue.
“Climbing up a hill took us almost two hours, double the time it typically took,” Mr Rai recalled. “It was quite tough because we had to carry more weight.”
Mr Rai followed Ms Chen as the police officers took over carrying her on their backs.
“I felt extremely bad and tried to walk at the start, but I just couldn’t,” Ms Chen said. “I was conscious during most of the evacuation, and it was definitely hard work for everyone to help me down.”
Taking a shortcut that halved the typically four-hour journey, they soon reached the Phajoding Monastery where the Desuung were waiting with a stretcher. They carried Ms Chen back to Motithang, arriving at around 8pm.
“In that terrain with the wet weather, I was very thankful they were helping me to get medical attention,” Ms Chen said.
“It was getting dark, yet they persevered.”
ROYAL HELP
But it was to Ms Chen and Mr Rai’s surprise that waiting for them was a royal doctor, sent by the deputy secretary of Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.“She had a royal check-up and took royal medicine. It was the help of the King and the people of Bhutan that we were able to save Sheryl’s life,” said Mr Rai.
Ms Chen was hospitalised for a day. Mr Rai had stayed with her through the night, before heading home for a rest.
Only after napping did the adrenaline wear off — his body ached from falling three times and his feet were swollen.
Ms Chen also met with Bhutan's director-general of tourism, who wanted to ensure she was well and gave her tea to take home to Singapore.
When asked why he and so many others were quick to step up and help, Mr Rai said: “In Bhutan, we have a saying that love has to be proven. It's in our minds.
“As a tour guide, I have to look after Ms Chen as she trusted me… I can’t break that trust.”
Describing this as a tale of kindness and perseverance, Ms Chen reiterated her gratitude towards the people of Bhutan for helping her, adding that she would love to visit the country again.
She hopes to return to complete the Druk Path Trek soon. “When I’m ready,” she quipped.
