A sherpa described finding a freezing climber in Everest's 'death zone' and carrying him down on his back in an epic rescue

• A Malaysian climber was saved from the "death zone" of Mount Everest by the bravery of a sherpa.
• Gelje Sherpa was near the top of Everest when he spotted the climber clinging to a rope.

A Malaysian climber narrowly avoided death after a brave sherpa led a remarkable high-altitude rescue on Mount Everest.

Mountain guide Gelje Sherpa and a Chinese client were near the top of the world's tallest mountain on May 18 when Gelje spotted the climber clinging to a rope in an area known as the "death zone" — shivering from extreme cold, Reuters reported.

In the "death zone" of the 29,032-foot mountain, temperatures can drop to -22 Fahrenheit or lower.

The climber had "nothing" and was "about to die," the mountain guide told CNN's Anderson Cooper in an interview Thursday. "No one was helping him, no friends, no oxygen, no sherpas with him, no guides – so this is quite dangerous for him."

Gelje said he persuaded his Chinese client to abandon his summit attempt and help the stricken climber and attempt the life-saving rescue on May 18, per The Guardian.

"Saving one life is more important than praying at the monastery," the 30-year-old Nepali guide said.

The pair were able to wrap the climber in a sleep mat and drag him through the snow — as well as take turns carrying the climber on their backs — over 1,900 feet down from a part of the mountain over a period of about six hours before another guide, Ngima Tashi, joined the rescue, per Reuters.

A helicopter eventually came to assist and brought the climber down to base camp. The climber, whose name was not released for privacy, flew back to Malaysia last week.

"It is almost impossible to rescue climbers at that altitude," Bigyan Koirala, an official for the department of tourism, said. "It is a very rare operation."

In all, Gelje has been a part of 55 rescues, according to CNN, but this particular rescue was the "hardest in my life," he told the news outlet.

At least 12 people have died trying to climb Everest this year, according to Nepali officials, and five are still missing.