Dr. Beck Weathers Shares Everest Survival Story
On Thursday, January 21, 2016, the Alumni Leadership Speaker Series welcomed Beck Weathers, father of S. Beck Weathers II ’97, to share his harrowing tale of survival in the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, which claimed the lives of eight climbers. While attempting to summit the mountain, Beck found his vision compromised by Everest’s high altitude and was instructed by his guide to stay put until his vision returned. His sight never came back and neither did his guide – they were trapped in a storm unable to continue their descent to Beck and to base camp.
Beck spent the night with several other climbers, barely surviving the harsh conditions and well below sub-zero temperatures. In the morning, Beck had entered into a hypothermic coma and the other weakened climbers made the difficult decision that he was beyond help. A phone call was even made to Dallas, telling Beck’s family that he had died on the mountain.
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Beck spent the night with several other climbers, barely surviving the harsh conditions and well below sub-zero temperatures. In the morning, Beck had entered into a hypothermic coma and the other weakened climbers made the difficult decision that he was beyond help. A phone call was even made to Dallas, telling Beck’s family that he had died on the mountain.
“I learned that night that miracles do occur,” Beck told the rapt audience of more than 200 alumni and guests. “My miracle was that I opened my eyes.”
Fueled by images of his family, Beck forced himself to walk back to the camp. His fellow climbers were shocked but it soon became clear that he was too weak and badly injured to descend the mountain. He survived thanks only to the highest altitude helicopter evacuation ever performed at the time. Frostbite eventually cost Beck his right hand, four fingers and the thumb from his left hand, parts of both feet, and his nose.
“There exists within each of us an enormous well of strength if you can just reach out and embrace it,” Beck said. “If you’re going to survive something like this, you have got to have an anchor. For me, it was my family.”
Apart from traveling the world telling his story, Beck works as a pathologist in Dallas. Beck and the story of the 1996 disaster was covered in Jon Krakauer’s bestselling book Into Thin Air and Beck was recently portrayed by Josh Brolin in last year’s blockbuster film Everest.
Beck visited campus as part of the Alumni Association's Alumni Leadership Speaker Series, which aims to provide Marksmen with lifelong learning opportunities, hearing from guest speakers in a variety of fields and interests.
Beck visited campus as part of the Alumni Association's Alumni Leadership Speaker Series, which aims to provide Marksmen with lifelong learning opportunities, hearing from guest speakers in a variety of fields and interests.
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214-346-8000
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St. Mark’s School of Texas is a private, nonsectarian college-preparatory boys’ day school for students in grades 1 through 12, located in Dallas, Texas. St. Mark’s aims to prepare young men to assume leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world.
St. Mark’s does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.
St. Mark’s does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.
