Ah, you beat me to the obvious parallel.
Sad state of affairs, ain't it?
Perhaps. I can understand leaving someone behind if the danger for staying is too great and I can understand the possibility of a futile attempt to bring him down, but I cannot fathom NOT providing aid and comfort while he lay dying.
Anyone here remember the doctor from Texas who was left as dying and managed to drag himself to a camp (downhill), there he was again determined to be dying. His wife, who was not on the climb, wouldn't give up on saving him and sent a helicopter (which was not supposed to be able to go to that altitude) and when it got there the dying doctor gave his ride to another person that he thought was worse off. The helicopter was able to come back and save him. I guess there are mountain climbers and then there are the other kind of mountain climbers, huh?