David was overtaken by darkness on his descent, and when he was found in the morning, had been there for hours without warmth nor oxygen.
He was found by an organised expedition which included a Kiwi double amputee (both legs from below the knee). He was initially given oxygen, but then was deemed beyond help, with limbs frozen solid, although not at that point dead. The expedition left him and continued the climb to a successful conclusion.
There has been considerable shit hitting the fan here in NZ, as many people think that the finders should have abandoned their attempt and tried to save him. Their number includes the most respected kiwi alive, Sir Edmund Hillary, one of the two men who first climbed the mountain and survived.
Climbers generally seem to be of the opinion that it is 'every man for himself' on Everest. There are more than 150 bodies up there, so the media say. Significantly, David was sheltering beside the body of a climber who had perished previously.