A fit person who has been properly acclimatized to the altitude of the death zone—but with little or no supplemental oxygen—could last up to a day on the summit in a best-case scenario. But according to Hackett, a person just plucked from a sofa at sea level and dropped onto the summit would have about one minute of normal brain function. This is due to sudden hypoxia, or lack of oxygen. Their body would be furiously trying to increase oxygen intake through rapid breathing and a racing heartbeat. A lethal sense of well-being, even a morphine-like euphoria, would wash over the person.
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