The Indian Air Force recently shared a photograph on the X platform, showcasing two foreign climbers who were rescued by their personnel in Uttarakhand, India. The climbers, Fay Jane Manners from the United Kingdom and Michelle Theresa Dvorak from the United States, were stranded for three days on the Chaukhamba-3 peak in the Himalayas.
According to Sandeep Tiwari, a senior administrative officer of Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, the climbers got stranded when a rockfall cut their rope and sent their bags, containing essential supplies like food, tent, and climbing gear, tumbling down a gorge. Despite losing most of their communication equipment, the climbers managed to send out an emergency message on the same day.
The rescue operation, which involved the Indian Air Force and the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority, took 80 hours to complete. Rajkumar Negi, a spokesperson for India’s disaster management agency, stated that two Indian Air Force helicopters were dispatched on Friday to search for the climbers but were unable to locate them. However, a French mountaineering team, also attempting to climb the Chaukhamba-3 peak, found the stranded climbers on Saturday and relayed their coordinates to the rescue authorities.
On Sunday, the Indian Air Force successfully airlifted the climbers from 17,400 feet, showcasing remarkable coordination in extreme conditions. The Chaukhamba-3 peak is located in the Garhwal Himalaya in northern India.