Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters on Friday executed a daring rescue and evacuation of a stranded crew of the IAF helicopters and air dispatch crew at an altitude of 15,500 feet above sea level amidst inclement weather.
The rescue and evacuation teams comprising–Army and Air Force helicopters reached the high altitude emergency landing site at North Sikkim braving snow blizzards to evacuate four IAF crew and Air Dispatch personnel.
The rescue operation demanded pushing to limits, both man and machine, for the successful extrication of the stranded crew.
The stranded military personnel braved inclement weather conditions for several hours before being evacuated.
Immediately on receipt of information, on Thursday, Indian Army rescue columns with personnel of ITBPs too, moved on foot, traversing dangerous terrain in bad weather, to the helicopter landing site to evacuate the individuals and provide medical aid, for which a doctor of the ITBP also accompanied, said a defence PRO.
Later, a combination of Army and Air Force helicopters were launched at the stroke of dawn on May 8, who executed a daring landing on an unprepared ground at an altitude of 15500 ft, and rescued the stranded personnel.
The IAF chopper made a force-landing in a field, 10 nautical miles away from Sikkim’s Mukutang, on Thursday after it encountered technical issues.
The Mi-17 helicopter with 6 people was on a routine air maintenance sortie from Chaten to Mukutang in Sikkim.