IAF rescues nine climbers stranded at 14,000 feet
Nov 29, 2006 - 1:46:42 AM
, Reviewed by: Priya Saxena
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'From a low hover, the helicopters dropped the relief supplies and pulled in five casualties.'
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By RxPG News Service,
[RxPG] New Delhi, Nov 28 - In a daring display of flying skills in extremely hazardous conditions, Indian Air Force - helicopters have managed to rescue nine mountaineers who had fallen ill after being trapped at 14,000 feet.
The saga began at 11 a.m. Nov 25 when the IAF's Shillong-based Eastern Air Command received an SOS from the army to locate and evacuate the mountaineers from the Yongyap La area in Arunachal Pradash's Dibang Valley along the Chinese border.
The mountaineering team had encountered severe bad weather for five days and was stranded in a narrow valley with four to five feet of snow at approximately 14,000 feet altitude, an IAF spokesman said.
'The IAF immediately took up the gauntlet by positioning two Cheetahs and one Mi-17 helicopter at Mohanbari - for launch by the afternoon of Nov 25. The helicopters were laden with emergency food, clothing, fuel and communication sets,' he added.
However, even after repeated attempts, inclement weather prevented the launch of rescue operations till the next day.
'On Nov 27, as soon as the weather showed improvement, the valiant helicopter pilots got airborne in their flying machines. Braving low clouds and poor visibility in the narrow, treacherous valley, the pilots located the stranded mountaineers in a small clearing surrounded by tall trees and thick snow,' the spokesman said.
'From a low hover, the helicopters dropped the relief supplies and pulled in five casualties.'
The helicopters then flew away but as four casualties remained to be evacuated, the Cheetah helicopters were flown in once again and managed to bring them out.
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