AMPUTEE climber Mark Inglis has told how there was nothing he or anyone could have done to save a North-East mountaineer from his death on Everest.

New Zealander Mr Inglis, who last week became the first double amputee to reach the peak, revealed how his party saw Guisborough climber David Sharp in bad shape as they made their attempt on the summit.

But he said there was nothing anyone could have done to save the 34-year-old's life.

About two-and-a-half hours into the final climb from camp four, the Inglis party passed Mr Sharp.

Mr Sharp, who is believed to have died hours later, had climbed the mountain without Sherpas the previous day, on May 14.

The engineer had climbed alone, after leaving his home on March 27 to travel to Everest's base camp.

He had had apparently run out of oxygen about 300m below the summit, on his way down.

One of Mr Inglis' climbing companions, Wayne Alexander, said: "We came across a chap sheltering under a rock, who was perhaps hours from death.

"That was probably only two and a half hours into the climb. He had made a mistake the day before. He started too late and couldn't get off the mountain."

Mr Inglis said: "We couldn't do anything. He had no oxygen, he had no proper gloves - things like that.

"Trouble is, at 8,500m it's extremely difficult to keep yourself alive - let alone keep anyone else alive.

"On that morning, over 40 people went past this young Briton - I was one of the first."

But, during radio calls, the party was told that if Mr Sharp had been there any length of time without oxygen, there was nothing that could be done for the climber.

"He was effectively dead so we carried on," added Mr Inglis. "Of those 40 people that passed this young Briton, no one helped him, except for people from our expedition."

Mr Sharp was the sixth person to die on Everest this season.

The parents of Mr Sharp, John and Linda, told last week how they did not blame anyone for not helping their son.

Mrs Sharp said: "Your only responsibility is to save yourself - not to try and save anyone else."