I've been up to the Everest region and have seen people die at lesser altitudes (18,500), as well as developing altitude sickness (cerebral oedma) way down in Lobuche. Death happens there quickly and without much warning.
It's not exactly every man for himself, but a person has to be at a certain level of mobility and fitness in order to be "rescuable" without endangering even more people. Fellow climbers will go to every effort to help someone who's down, but you've got to remember that the level of available effort is dramatically reduced from the same problem at sea level. And guides aren't supermen, they succumb to altitude like anyone else (I know one who was rescued by his own clients during a bout of altitude sickness).
As for making a medical diagnosis, most guides and even many clients have some amount of medical/rescue training, because when you're up there, you're completely on your own.
Edmund Hilary has become a bit of a crank, he has absolutely no right to critique life and death decisions that he wasn't being forced to make. To my knowledge, he's never been a serious high-altitude mountaineering guide.
excuse me but a key question is whether the Brice party saw this chap on the way up and left him their to pursue the Everest peak. Sir Edmund is right on if they considered helping him only on the way down when resources were critical and they were exhausted.
excuse me but a key question is whether the Brice party saw this chap on the way up and left him their to pursue the Everest peak. Sir Edmund is right on if they considered helping him only on the way down when resources were critical and they were exhausted.