I AM ON THE TOP OF THE WORLD.
NO ONE COMING TO GET ME.
I AM ALONE, I AM BLIND, AND I
HAVE TO GET DOWN.
AT ONE POINT I YELLED OUT, I AM
NOT GOING TO DIE ON THIS
MOUNTAIN.
REPORTER: BRIAN DICKINSON IS
A HIGHLY SKILLED AND
SELF-SUFFICIENT MOUNTAIN
CLIMBER.
IN 2011 AT THE TOP OF MT.
EVEREST, HIS SURVIVAL WAS BEYOND
HIS ABILITY AND CONTROL.
HIS WIFE JOANNA RECALLS HIS
DECISION.
WHEN HE DECIDED TO CLIMB, I
KNEW THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT TO
DO.
I HAVE TRUST YOU ARE GOING TO
MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES.
LOTS OF PEAKS IN MY BACKYARD
AND THROW 50 POUNDS IN A PACK,
CLIMB UP IN THE MORNING AND BACK
UP HERE AT 8:00 FOR A MEETING
REPORTER: NOTHING CAN
PREPARE A CLIMBER FOR THE DEATH
ZONE ON EVEREST.
THEY CALL IT THE DEATH ZONE,
IF YOU CUT YOUR FINGER, IT WON'T
HEAL.
FIVE SECONDS BETWEEN EACH STEP.
TAKE A BREATH.
REALLY MOVING IN SLOW
MEDICATION.
REPORTER: HE BEGAN HIS CLAIM
WITH TWO OTHERS.
ONE BECAME ILL.
ISSUES AROSE THE NEXT DAY.
BRIAN SLIPPED AND LET GO OF HIS
GOGGLES, EXPOSING EYES TO
HARMFUL UV RAYS.
I REPELLED DOWN 500 FEET.
I REACHED MY GOGGLES.
THEY ARE CRACKED RIGHT THROUGH
THE MIDDLE.
THEY ARE FREEZING BETWEEN
LAYERS.
IT WAS CREATING THIS ICE.
I HAD A DIME-SIZED HOLE IN MY
LEFT EYE AND REST FROZEN.
HE REMOVED HIS INNER
PROTECTIVE LAYER.
HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE UV DAMAGE
TO HIS EYES.
I HAD TO STAY FOCUSSED TO
KEEP MOVING UP THE HILL.
REPORTER: AT 26,000 FEET,
BRIAN AND SURPA RESTED.
THEY MADE THEIR SUMMIT ATTEMPT.
HE BECAME ILL LEAVING BRIAN WITH
A TOUGH DECISION.
I HAD TO EVALUATE THAT, RISK
VS. REWARD.
CAN PASONG GET DOWN BY HIMSELF.
HE PUT EXTRA OXYGEN BOTTLE THERE
IN THE SNOW.
HE WENT DOWN AND I WENT UP, WE
DIDN'T LOOK BACK.
WHAT IS INTERESTING, DURING THIS
WHOLE CLIMB WHILE I WAS BY
MYSELF, I FELT THIS PRESENCE
LIKE I WAS NEVER ALONE.
REPORTER: BRIAN CLIMBED
THROUGHOUT NIGHT.
HE MADE IT TO THE TOP OF THE MT.
EVEREST, HIGHEST POINT ON EARTH.
LAST STEPS, EVERYTHING FROM
PROUD TO EXHAUSTED.
I AM ONE OF, I GUESS, TWO OR
THREE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SOLOED
THE ACTUAL SUMMIT.
IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
TEARS STARTED FORMING.
BEING AWAY FROM MY FAMILY FOR SO
LONG KNOWING I HAD TO GET DOWN
SAFELY AND BACK TO THEM.
I TURNED TO GO DOWN, ATTACHED TO
THIS ROPE, TAKE A FEW STEPS AND
EVERYTHING GOES WHITE,
COMPLETELY WHITE.
IMMEDIATELY I DROPPED DOWN AND
GRABBED THE ROPE.
I WENT SNOW BLIND.
I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING.
IT IS BRIGHT WHITE, BURNING.
MY EYES ARE BURNING.
IT FEELS LIKE IT IS SCRATCHING
THE INSIDE OF MY EYE LIDS.
REPORTER: BRIAN STARTED SLOW
SLI DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.
VERY TIRED.
I COULD HAVE CLOSED MY EYES AND
BECAME A PERMANENT MEMBER OF THE
MOUNTAIN.
REPORTER: ONE OF HIS SPIKES
UNDER HIS BOOTS CAME OFF AND
SLIT DOWN THE HILL.
I START FALLING HEAD OVER
HILLS AND THE ROPE SHOCK LOADS
ME AND ARMS AND LEGS BACKWARDS,
UPSIDE DOWN, MY BOTTLE OF OXYGEN
COMING OUT OF MY PACK.
BREATHING REALLY HARD.
REPORTER: HIS FALL STOPPED,
AFFIXED IT TO HIS BOOT AND BACK
ON THE PATH.
HE LOCATED THE OXYGEN TANK.
WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT THE EXTRA
WEIGHT, HE PUT IT IN HIS PACK.
I GET IT ON MY ROPE AND START
REPELLING.
MY MASK STARTS SUCKING INTO MY
FACE AND RAN OUT OF OXYGEN.
I RIP IT FROM MY FACE AND TAKE
THESE DEEP BREATHS.
INTO THIN AIR, NOTHING COMING
IN.
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND
SURRENDERED.
IT WAS SIMPLE PRAYER.
I SAID GOD I CAN'T DO THIS
ALONE.
HELP ME.
REPORTER: AT THAT MOMENT ON
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD,
FRIENDS AND FAMILY WERE SUDDENLY
COMPELLED TO PRAY FOR BRIAN.
I FELT GOD TALKING TO ME,
PRAY FOR BRIAN.
THAT WAS WHAT I PRAYED FOR.
I GOT THIS FEELING MAYBE
SOMETHING WAS WRONG.
AND UM, I KEPT PRAYING FOR GOD
TO BRING HIM HOME SAFE.
AT THAT MOMENT, I WITNESSED A
MIRACLE.
IT WAS AS IF GOD REACHED DOWN BY
THE BACK OF MY DOWN SUIT AND
LIFTED ME UP.
I HAD THIS UNEXPLAINED ENERGY TO
HAVE THAT LIFE REENTER MY BODY
WAS UNEXPLAINABLE.
TO BE ABLE TO STAND UP, FEEL
STRONG AND JUST HAVE HOPE.
I HAVE NEVER REALLY HAD A
SITUATION THIS INTENSE WHERE I
COULDN'T TAKE CREDIT FOR DOING
THINGS ON MY OWN.
AT THIS POINT, I NEEDED HELP.
I GAVE IT TO GOD.
I SURRENDERED.
REPORTER: BRIAN TRIED THE
OXYGEN TANK AND IT WORKED.
HE MADE IT DOWN TO THE CAMP AT
26,000 FEET WHERE PASANG WAS
WAITING FOR HIM.
FROM THE TENT TO THE TOP TO
THE BOTTOM, I WAS IN TEARS.
THINKING ABOUT WHAT I WENT
THROUGH.
THINKING ABOUT MY FAMILY.
AND THE MIRACLE.
REPORTER: WITH THE HELP OF
PASANG AND DENNIS, BRIAN MADE IT
THE REST OF THE WAY DOWN MT.
EVEREST, ONE MONTH LATER HIS
SIGHT RETURNED TO NORMAL.
HE WAS THANKFUL GOD WAS WITH HIM
FROM THE TOP OF THE WORLD AND
BACK DOWN AGAIN.
IN MY MOMENT OF NEED, HE WAS
THERE THE ENTIRE TIME.
HE IS ALWAYS THERE.
THAT PRESENCE I FELT, I WAS
NEVER ALONE.
WHEN I NEEDED TO BE LIFTED UP.
HE WAS THERE.
HE GOT ME DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.
I AM SO THANKFUL HE IS HERE
WITH US AND MADE IT BACK SAFE.
PEOPLE GIVE UP ON THEMSELVES,
GOD IS NOT GIVING UP ON YOU.
NO MATTER WHAT, GOD IS ALWAYS
THERE.
THROUGH THE TOUGHEST TIMES.
SURVIVING THE IMPOSSIBLE.
