Aussie YouTuber Spanian ‘almost dies’ on Mount Everest

Popular Aussie YouTuber Spanian was rescued by an emergency helicopter after “almost dying” on Mount Everest.

Popular Aussie YouTuber Spanian was rescued by an emergency helicopter after ‘almost dying’ on Mount Everest.

Popular Australian YouTuber Anthony Lees – better known as Spanian – has revealed he came terrifyingly close to death during a recent trip to Mount Everest.

The former Sydney gangster-turned-internet sensation, known for his food and travel vlogs and no-nonsense storytelling, was rescued by an emergency helicopter after falling ill while attempting to explore the mountain range.

The 38-year-old told viewers of hit most recent travel vlog that he’d flown to the Himalayas on a whim – and quickly learned that the world’s highest mountain doesn't take kindly to shortcuts.

“I just wanted to see what it was all about,” he said in a clip documenting the experience.

“So I booked a private chopper to take me to the top. No trek, no camp and no acclimatising.”

Everything was going well at the beginning of the journey. Picture: YouTube

Mount Everest, which stands at a staggering 8849 metres above sea level, straddles the Nepal-Tibet border and attracts thousands of ambitious climbers every year. While summating the peak takes months of intense training and planning, even visiting base camp – located at 5346 metres – can be dangerous without proper acclimation.

Altitude sickness can occur as low as 2500 metres, with symptoms ranging from headaches and nausea to potentially fatal complications. Most travellers will spend several days – if not weeks – gradually ascending to allow their bodies to adapt.

But Spanian skipped all of that entirely.

Instead, chartering a helicopter straight to 3000 metres to check into the Everest View Hotel, one of the highest-altitude hotels in the world – all while wearing a pair of shorts and Adidas joggers.

Things quickly went downhill for the YouTuber who struggled to breathe. Picture: YouTube

The view from the Everest View Hotel – one of the world's highest-altitude hotels. Picture: Instagram

After arriving, things quickly took a sharp turn.

“I feel light-headed,” he said immediately after exiting the helicopter.

Within the hour, the YouTuber said he couldn’t get out of bed, was struggling to breathe and felt freezing cold.

“It’s getting way worse. I can’t breathe properly, my head hurts and I’m freezing,” he said.

“I tried to send a voice note to one of my staff and I got a little bit scared, I had a panic attack.”

At one point, he attempted to walk a nearby trail to a town but was forced to sit down only minutes into the journey.

“I’m weak and unstable, I could die,” he told viewers.

Back at the hotel, staff measured his oxygen saturation level, where it came back at a worryingly low level of 83 per cent. Safe levels typically range between 95 and 100 per cent.

He was forced to take an emergency helicopter down. Picture: YouTube

Hundreds have died while attempting to climb Mt Everest. Picture: iStock

“I want to go down the mountain right now, I need to get out of here, I almost passed out,” he said.

An emergency helicopter was then called to evacuate him down to 2,500 metres, where his symptoms began to ease.

“I’m actually really upset now, I was going into some sort of collapse,” he said after arriving back at his hotel in Kathmandu.

Viewers were quick to voice their frustration with the experience, branding it complete “ignorance.”

“This was frustrating to watch. The collective ignorance of Spanian and his management and the complete lack of responsibility by the tour company was mind-blowing,” said one.

“83 per cent blood oxygen level would warrant an admission into the emergency department in normal circumstances,” noted another.

“This is not something you can just decide to do, let alone by yourself. Takes a lot of preparation, training and practice,” wrote a third.

“Your team needs a serious talking to. This was a huge blunder with a potentially critical ending,” agreed a fourth.

The death toll for Mount Everest is higher than any mountain with at least 322 deaths since 1922.