What would you do?

I'm glad that double amputee Mark Inglis decided to defend himself from the pointless criticism made by Sir Edmund Hillary. This may sound cold but first of all David Sharp went up the mountain without having enough gear. True, he should not be to blame but he is an experienced climber and had climbed many mountains and this is definitely a misjudgement on his part.

Second, Mark Inglis and his team were not a rescue team and they did try to give him help but even surgeons know when to stop reviving a dying patient on the table. It is simply too late.

Let us say they did rescue the man and went back down the mountain. Would Inglis' team have enough oxygen to spare? Would the guy survive? In a dangerous expedition such as this one, if you are not prepared to take on extra "baggage" then you will endanger your team if you do.

When I was training with the Red Cross during my scouting days, the first rule I was taught was never try to rescue a person if I cannot rescue myself. e.g. if you are at Piha and a fisherman managed to get swept off by a freak wave, you do not simply jump in to try and rescue the man. Even if you are a strong swimmer, the forces of nature may simply be too strong and you'll end up stranded as well, or worse, dead. What help would that do to the fisherman? If you are alive and on firm ground then you can find a way to rescue the man. Maybe use a fishing rod or call of professional help (from life guards or rescue agencies).

Same principle applies here with David Sharp. First he is already dying. Two, he doesn't have enough clothing which will make the trek down the mountain much worse than sheltering under a rock. Three, Inglis and his team are not equipped to take on another member and will most likely end up endangering the whole team - i.e. another member may die or suffer in addition to Sharp.

What do you think you would do?

On a different note, Telecom ordered Web site to remove a video yesterday. The video was here but is currently unavailable. Try again later. It is quite entertaining and a large bit of truth in it. Telecom staff I sent this too don't find it amusing though.