I don't think that's even the issue, the guy needed help getting down. I'm not buying all the rationalizations offered here: 40 people just walked by the guy. No one can make me believe that some combination of 40 human beings couldn't have gotten this guy down.
You and 41 other people are standing on the Golden Gate Bridge and one jumps off. You see him hit the water and come back up. He is not dead, yet.
Are you willing to jump off the bridge to ATTEMPT to save his life? Are you going to start demanding that the other 40 people jump off the bridge and attempt to save his life?
Keep in mind that on this particular day, all fire/police and rescue services are on strike and it's just you and the other 40 people. Do you kill yourself to save him? Doubtful.
This is the circumstance those 40 people were faced with. Superman only comes in the movies.
The 40 people were in different parties of 6-10 climbers each.
Climbers probably passed him over a 12-24 hour time span. It is not unusual for climbers to be stopped along the way. Many lose their battle with altitude sickness and try resting before deciding to go ahead or go back.