[AltoLXI]

Army Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad of 19 Battalion, Madras Regiment, rescued from under under 25 feet of snow following an avalanche in the Siachen glacier continues to battle for his life. The next 24 to 48 hours are crucial according to the doctors attending on him. A native of Betadur village in Dharwad district of Karnataka, Koppad was buried under 25 ft of ice and snow for five days where the temperature was minus 45 degrees Celsius since February 3 and was rescued from the site yesterday.

The 10 soldiers buried in the avalanche were,

• Subedar Nagesha TT

• Havildar Elumalai

• Lance Havildar S Kumar

• Lance Naik Sudheesh B

• Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad

• Sepoy Mahesha PN

• Sepoy Ganesan G

• Sepoy Rama Moorthy N

• Sepoy Mustaq Ahmed S

• Sepoy Nursing Assistant Suryawanshi SV

Condolences to the families of the brave soldiers who lost their lives.

[nkghai]

Let's light a candle in the evening at home and pray for speedy recovery of L/No Hanumanthappa. He's comatose and next 24-48 hrs are critical, say the doctors. Something tells me that the 'supreme power' that has miraculously saved him will surely release him into a second life if we , a billion plus strong Indians pray.. and pray selflessly for a soldier who stood guard for his motherland !! Please share with other groups & social media. ���� Ghai

Sorry for back to back posts. But time to edit has lapsed and I just got this official Health bulletin issued by Army Hospital Research and Referral (R&R) in New Delhi today.

“L/Nk Hanamanthappa K of 19 MADRAS, was buried under 35 ft of ice and snow at 20500 ft for five days since the avalanche at Siachen on 03 Feb 16.
He was rescued from the site on 08 Feb 16. On recovery, he was found to be conscious but drowsy and disoriented. He was severely dehydrated, hypothermic, hypoxic, hypoglycemic and in shock.
He was immediately resuscitated by the doctors at the site, who had been there for the past five days in the hope of a survivor.
He was treated with warm intravenous fluids, humidified warm oxygen and passive external re warming.
He was flown out from the site on 09 Feb 16 by helicopter along with a Medical Specialist to the Siachen base camp, from where he was brought to the Thois air base.
He was then transferred to Delhi by a fixed wing aircraft of the IAF along with a Critical Care Specialist of the IAF and Medical Specialist from the Siachen Base Camp.
He is currently comatose and continues to be in shock with low blood pressure. He has pneumonia and his investigations have revealed liver and kidney dysfunction. Fortunately there was no cold exposure related frost bite or bony injuries to him.
He is being treated by a team of intensivists, neurologist, nephrologist, endocrinologist and surgeons.He has been treated with fluids, drugs to bring up his blood pressure and antibiotics.
He has been placed on a ventilator to protect his airway and lungs in view of his comatose state.
He remains extremely critical and is expected to have a stormy course in the next 24 to 48 hrs due to the complications caused by re warming and establishment of blood flow to the cold parts of the body”.

General Dalbir Singh, COAS visited Army Hospital Research and Referral (R&R) today and commended the brave heart for his indomitable mental robustness and his refusal to give in to harsh elements of nature. He also conveyed best wishes on behalf of all ranks of the Army for his early and complete recovery..

[nkghai]

Written by Leh Hospital Medical Specialist

A humbling lifetime experience today..Got opportunity today to go to Siachen (for 1st time) from Leh with 2 pilots in heptr to evacuate the lone survivor of Siachen avalanche Hanumantappa from the site of avalanche to Nubra airport where patient moved to air ambulance and handed over to my counterpart in Nubra and AF doctors for onward journey to AHRR.
Since my detailment (yesterday late night) for task with 2 pilots for initial evacuation from site of incident lot of mixed feelings have been there, but noteworthy things-Hats off to the:-
1) RMO for keeping the survivor alive overnight at the site.
2) Rescue teams to work at an altitude of 19600 ft for so many days and recover him.
3) Pilots for daring to fly in d middle of snow blizzard through narrow mountain features inching forward despite all the turbulence of aircraft with extremely poor visibility (at top barely 60-70m initially) and finally making a successful landing at the makeshift helipad which was just a little bigger than the heptr with white out all around (top, ground and all 4 directions)
4) The men of his unit who must have dug and gone deeper and deeper in ice with the hope to find every comrade of theirs as survivor but getting disappointed every time and yet gathering courage to look for next one till they found him.
5) And last but not the least the man in question Hanumantappa who survived for 6 days buried deep under ice in place with temp less than -50°C n strong chilly blizzards and couldn't be recognized initially as human but for the hope, reassurance and bright spark in his eyes when i saw him for first time after being put in heptr there.
As we took off for Nubra airport (where air ambulance was waiting with other med team for onward journey to my alma-mater AHRR) crossing highest inhabitable snow clad and obscured peaks with extremely low temperatures the eyes of the man (Hanumantappa)in front of me, whom we all were meant to rescue, personified the triumph (hopefully long lasting coz he is still critical) of indomitable spirit of human resilience against all odds (including the mighty nature) and desire of man (An Indian Army Man) to never give up come what may and realization of hope that at least his own fellow men in uniform would not leave and forget him- no doubt the fighting spirit for survival in him and the rescue teams was far far far taller than those snow clad tallest scary and dominating mountain peaks in glacier..
Salute to you and God bless my colleague in uniform - May you come out a survivor in your next battle for life as well with the bright spark of hope, faith, immense courage and reassurance intact in your eyes besides the pride of being "An Indian Soldier".

[sumathindra]

What can one say after seeing and reading all this. The only thing that comes out from ones heart is RESPECT and THANK YOU for all these brave soldiers do to us and our country. Such selfless act of valor for the love of the country sacrificing all the material benefits money can buy. I sincerely pray and hope a speedy recovery and also trust our government does the right thing to these HERO’s and their families

[V.Narayan]

Thank you for this thread. Sadly we don't pay our soldiers adequately - maybe because they cannot form a union and go on strike. I am reminded of Francis Quarles' short poem -

Our Gods and soldiers we like adore
Only at the brink of danger, not before
After deliverance, both are alike requited
Our God's forgotten and our soldiers slighted

[nkghai]

Thanks you all for being there for the soldier. Please continue your prayers. Latest update :-

Siachen avalanche survivor Hanumanthappa sinking; condition extremely critical

11 Feb 2016-07:10am , New Delhi , DNA

The lone survivor of an avalanche at the world's highest battlefield, Siachen Glacier, on February 3, is being attended by a team of medical specialists from R&R hospital and AIIMS.

The best is not proving good enough for Siachen miracle man Lance Naik Hanumanthappa, whose condition deteriorated on Wednesday at Army Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital here, where he was flown in a day before.

The lone survivor of an avalanche at the world's highest battlefield, Siachen Glacier, on February 3, is being attended by a team of medical specialists from R&R hospital and AIIMS.

Even as the country holds its breath for him to get well and his family by his side, Hanumanthappa, who was pulled out alive on Monday night from under the 25-30ft debris of avalanche six days after getting buried, "continues to remain extremely critical with evidence of oxygen deprivation to the brain", Army said.

According to a health bulletin issued on Wednesday – second in the day – by R&R hospital, "There is evidence of pneumonia in both lungs. His multi-organ dysfunction state continues unabated. His condition has deteriorated despite aggressive therapy and supportive care."

Earlier in the day, Army said the medical team treating him at R&R is monitoring his situation continuously and using the best expertise and resources available.

Five members of the family, including his wife Mahadevi Ashok, and 62-year-old mother Basamma reached Delhi on Tuesday night to be with Hanumanthappa who along with nine other soldiers of 19 Madras regiment were guarding the Sonam post located at an altitude of 19,500 feet in the northern glacier of Siachen when an 800 feet by 400 feet ice wall fell on them.

While he was extricated out of the ice, the rest died and their mortal remains found. However, bad weather at the Indian Army base camp in Siachen hampered their remains to be carried back to their homes.

"When weather permits, we will airlift their bodies from the glacier," Defence Ministry spokesperson said.

[Guna]

Looks like the chances are fading (but hope not). I was skeptical when I heard the news that the solider was alive thinking that all his body parts would be affected by frost bite.
I wonder if risking humans life is the only way to guard this point. Why can't some technology be employed, like a radar station or satellite based monitoring (or some drone technology)?
Another question that comes to my mind is, could this avalanche been triggered by enemies, as even sound wave can be used trigger such event. Just a possibility.

[drmohitg]

Its ironic how everyone these days has almost made it akin to fashion statement in announcing their pain and grief for deceased army men on FB/Twitter etc. Yet no one including the media has the guts to take up their cause for OROP.

I really hope the soldier is able to pull through although medically the chances are extremely negligible.

[nkghai]

Three issues you have touched and lets go one by one.

Originally Posted by Guna

that all his body parts would be affected by frost bite.

None of the reports have suggested frost bite till now. He has pneumonia and the biggest problem has been lack of oxygen to the brain.

Originally Posted by Guna

I wonder if risking humans life is the only way to guard this point.

This is a political issue and has to sorted out at that level. As far as occupation is concerned, no amount of technology can replace the man on the ground (The US would never send a single soldier to war then). We are talking of features which dominate the area and leaving it for enemy to occupy is not an option. Yes, once we have sufficient confidence building measures and the two neighbours trust each other, then electronic surveillance will only be required. As of now trust is very low and both sides are physically occupying respective strategic heights.

Originally Posted by Guna

could this avalanche been triggered by enemies

Possible but unlikely. There have been no shots fired in Siachen in last decade and such an act would mean an escalation. The other side also had around 100 causalities due to an avalanche a few years back. The problem is that the Glaciers and even the mountains are always moving and the movement sometimes triggers an avalanche. Although we have a system of prediction but nature has its way of defeating us.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by nkghai

Three issues you have touched and lets go one by one.

None of the reports have suggested frost bite till now. He has pneumonia and the biggest problem has been lack of oxygen to the brain.

I know that apparently there are no frost bites. But that's what I was fearing when I read about the rescue.

[nkghai]

Originally Posted by Guna

I know that apparently there are no frost bites. But that's what I was fearing when I read about the rescue.

Your apprehensions were bang ON.
I have suffered Frostnip, the first stage of frost bite after only few hrs of my foot exposure to extreme cold. Was lucky!

[nkghai]

Sorry to inform you all that in spite of best efforts by all, Lance Naik Hanmanthappa passed away at 11.45 am today.
May his soul RIP.
Proud of you Hanmanthappa

[Guna]

This is really sad. RIP
Real hero. It seems he always preferred to be posted in difficult/challenging locations.

[Enobarbus]

One more soldier lost. That indomitable spirit would have worked wonders had he survived. What a fighter; he must be amongst the best of the best. Lance Naik Hanumanthappa, we salute you.

[sumathindra]

One more brave soul lost in the line of active duty. RIP soldier