Friend confirms Lincoln Hall's alive but seriously ill

This is the latest news to hand about Australian mountaineer Lincoln Hall who yesterday was widely reported by the media to have died on Mt Everest. I posted on it yesterday and then unconfirmed reports came through that Lincoln is alive after all.

ABC News has just reported on radio (not yet posted on their site) that his friends thought he was dead and had "abandoned" him, but he was found alive the following day and a rescue mission is now being organised to bring him down the mountain. He is apparently critically ill. This webpage appears to be the breaking news page for the official Mount Everst site.

Holding my breath and crossing my fingers. Good luck, Lincoln! Om Mani Padme Hum.

"Australian climber Lincoln Hall, feared dead after an attempt to tackle the world's tallest mountain, Mount Everest, is alive, says his friend Simon Balderstone.

"Mr Balderstone had treated earlier reports that his friend had survived with caution.

"A confirmed report from one of his expedition members, Michael Dillon, on Friday night revealed that 50-year-old Hall has been taken to the North Col camp, 7,000 metres above sea level.

"The North Col is the lower point of one of Everest's three great ridges that rise to the summit.

"The Everest summit is 8,848 metres above sea level.

"Hall's Sydney friend, Simon Balderstone, told AAP on Friday night that Hall was in the hands of an expedition doctor, but there were grave concerns about his health.

"Hall's wife Barbara Scanlan and their two sons, Dylan, 17, and Dorje, 15, were waiting for more news of the dramatic turn of events ..."
The Age

(MountEverest.net) "Early this morning, climbers on their way up the mountain found Australian Lincoln Hall still alive - after his spending one night in the open at 8700m. A rescue operation was immediately launched – resulting in an unprecedented joint effort from all teams still on Everest’s north side."
Joint effort never before seen on Everest’s North side: Lincoln Hall in C1

Friend confirms Lincoln Hall's alive :: Climber 'conscious but disoriented'