Leslie Binns, 42, a British ex-armyman was on his way to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, when he spotted a fellow mountaineer in need of help. Binns was only 500 metres away from the summit when he heard the screams for help. 

It was Sunita Hazra, an Indian mother who was attempting to climb Everest. Her oxygen cylinder had been exhausted. Leslie Binns decided to abandon his mission and dream of scaling Everest to save a life instead. 

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They met another climber on their way down but couldn’t save him. Talking to BBC, Binns said, 'I truly regret not being able to do anything more for him. But I had nothing left in me that night and I tried my level best to rescue him but he could not be moved.’

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About the rescue, he told BBC he spotted Ms Hazra near an area named ‘The Balcony’; she was sliding down the fixed climbing lines screaming in horror. He managed to stop her, after which she tried to make the descent again but collapsed after a few metres. "It was at this point I decided to cancel my summit bid to help Sunita […] I climbed down to her and called my Sherpa. I told him we are not going up and we would give Sunita my spare oxygen bottle and take her down," Binns said. 

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The brave ex-soldier served 13 years in the army in areas including Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. An explosion in Afghanistan left him blinded in one eye. He is the recipient of two medals, including the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery. 

‘I am immensely proud that I helped Sunita. I just wish I could have done more […] No summit is worth a life,’ the man said.