Siachen lone army survivor battles for life

Lance Naik Hanmanthappa Koppad, who miraculously survived for six days buried under ice and snow in the Siachen glacier, has been brought to the R&R Hospital in Delhi and doctors are trying all they can to save him.

The armyman from Dharwad in Karnataka is currently in coma and his condition remains extremely critical because of lack of oxygen to the brain and cold exposure.

“He is expected to have a stormy course in the next 24 to 48 hours due to the complications caused by re-warming and establishment of blood flow to the cold parts of the body,” says a medical bulletin issued by the hospital. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the hospital and discussed his condition with the doctors. “No words are enough to describe the endurance and indomitable spirit of Lance Naik Hanmanthappa. He is an outstanding soldier. Team of doctors is attending to Lance Naik Hanmanthappa. We are all hoping and praying for the best,” Modi tweeted.

A team of 10 armymen from 19 Madras Regiment was guarding a helipad at 20,500 ft on the Siachen glacier – the world’s highest and harshest battlefield – when they were hit by an avalanche on January 3.

They were buried under 35 ft of ice



and snow for five days before the rescue teams were able to dig the spot. The night temperature was in the range of minus 50 degrees Celsius while the day temperature was about minus 25 degrees.

The soldier was treated with warm intravenous fluids, humidified warm oxygen and passive external re-warming before being flown out in an Dhurv helicopter from the site on Tuesday to the Siachen base camp, from where he was brought to the Thois air base. 

He was then transferred to Delhi by the Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft along with a critical care specialist of the IAF and medical specialist from the Siachen base camp.

At the R&R Hospital, doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia, liver and kidney dysfunction. Fortunately, there was no cold exposure related frost bite or bony injuries to him. 

However, it is the lack of oxygen to his brain, which is worrying the doctors. On recovery, he was found to be conscious but drowsy and disoriented. 

Hanmanthappa was severely dehydrated, hypothermic, hypoxic, hypoglycemic and was in cold shock. He was immediately resuscitated by the doctors who had been camping there for the past five days in the hope of finding survivors.